Kochi, Jan 13 (NationPress) Noah Sadaoui's late goal in the fifth minute of injury time secured a thrilling 3-2 victory for Kerala Blasters FC against Odisha FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Monday night. The Juggernauts have now gone four matches without a win, while the Kochi-based side remains unbeaten (W5 D2) in all seven encounters where Noah has scored this season, showcasing their prowess by netting thrice in the last half-hour of play.

The match began with the Juggernauts taking an early advantage in the fourth minute, executing a direct strategy that caught the Kerala Blasters FC defense off guard. Inside the box, Dori outjumped Pritam Kotal to deliver a headed pass to Jerry Mawihmingthanga, who sprinted into the 18-yard area. With swift footwork, Jerry adjusted and placed the ball into the bottom right corner, giving Odisha the lead.

Odisha FC demonstrated solid defensive capabilities, effectively blocking a close-range attempt from Kwame Peprah in the 36th minute. Noah Sadaoui made an impressive run into the box from the left before setting up Kwame, who struggled to get a shot off under pressure from the visiting defense.

However, Peprah managed to find the equalizer in the 60th minute. Korou Singh crafted a brilliant through ball from the right flank, threading it perfectly into Odisha's defense. Peprah outpaced Mourtada Fall and Rohit Kumar to latch onto the pass and fired it into the bottom left corner.

Following the equalizer, Kerala Blasters FC intensified their attacking efforts. In the 73rd minute, the frontline worked in sync, with Adrian Luna shifting right and delivering a cross to Noah on the far left post. Sadaoui cleverly headed the ball to Jesus Jimenez, who struck it into the high center of the net, putting the home team in the lead.

Despite Jimenez's goal, Odisha FC pressed for an equalizer. Diego Mauricio took a direct free-kick that aimed for the top right corner, only to be saved by Sachin Suresh. The ball was cleared but fell to Saviour Gama, who unleashed a powerful shot that was brilliantly saved by the Kerala keeper. Dori quickly capitalized on the rebound, scoring from close range to level the game at 80 minutes.

However, the momentum shifted when Carlos Delgado was shown a second yellow card in the 83rd minute, leaving Odisha FC with ten men. Kerala Blasters FC took full advantage of this, outnumbering the Odisha defense as they sought the winning goal deep into stoppage time.

With time running out, Noah received a pass from Vibin Mohanan on the left side of the box. Recognizing the urgency, he unleashed a powerful shot that found the bottom right corner, despite being taken from a sharp angle and deflecting off a defender. This late goal secured the victory for the home side, lifting them to eighth place in the standings with 20 points from 16 matches.

Next up, Kerala Blasters FC will face NorthEast United FC on January 18, while Odisha FC will take on Bengaluru FC on January 22.