Two goals conceded in seven minutes, on either side of the interval, ensured Gokulam Kerala would have to wait for its maiden home win in the I-League.
The debutant was beaten 0-2 by reigning champion Aizawl FC at the Corporation Stadium on Sunday. It was a match clearly dominated by the Mizoram team which didn’t look that perturbed by the hot, humid conditions.
In the 45th minute, Lalram Hmunmwia, after beating Arif Shaikh on the left flank, crossed smartly to Yogo Kobayashi whose deft flick moved the net from close in. There was a deflection by Gokulam defender Daniel Addo, but the goal was rightly awarded to the Japanese striker.
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After the break, Gokulam pressed hard for the equaliser but had to pay the price for its sloppy defence.
In the 52nd minute, off a counter-attack, Aizawl’s crafty midfielder H. Lalmuankima, after winning the ball from his own half, made a fine solo run and gave an excellent through ball to Romanian midfielder Andrei Ionescu who moved past a couple of defenders before coming up with a neatly placed right-footer.
The hosts slumped to their fourth defeat in six games. For the visitors, it was their third win in five matches.
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The result: Aizawl 2 (Kobayashi 45, Ionescu 52) bt Gokulam 0.