None of the impediments that Ivan Vukomanovic had spoken of at the pre-match interaction on Tuesday could stop Kerala Blasters’ march at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday.
The current Indian Super League (ISL) leaders, whose depleted squad flew in to Bhubaneswar in the morning for lack of accommodation in the Odisha capital, showed their dominance over Shilling Lajong in the afternoon fixture to kick off their Super Cup campaign with a 3-1 victory.
Despite missing four players who have been instrumental in their ISL run this season — Rahul KP, Pritam Kotal and Ishan Pandita to national duty and Adrian Luna to surgery — Vukomanovic’s wards made easy work of their I-League rivals who displayed some urgency at the upfront whenever they had a chance to do so.
The first half hour of the match saw three goals with the Blasters striking twice through Peprah in the 15th and 27th minutes and Lajong pulling one back in the 30th through a Renan Paulino spot kick. The game was settled in favour of the Blasters from a Mohammed Aimen header in the 46th minute.
