Last I-league season’s runner-up, Neroca FC were held to 1-1 draw by Gokulam Kerala at the Khuman Lampak Main Stadium in Imphal on Wednesday.
Boaringdao Bodo came off the bench to score for the visitors in the final minute of the first half before Eduardo Ferreira equalised in the 59th minute to earn a valuable point for his side.
Gokulam remained on fifth with two points from the same number of matches, while Neroca following the defeat against East Bengal are ninth.
It was Neroca, who started well and could have scored as early as the 13th minute when striker Subash Singh ran into the box but was stopped from a wonderful tackle from Fabricio Ortiz. Five minutes later, the striker had another opportunity to score but fluffed the chance from an open scoring position.
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Neroca skipper Aryn Williams then came close from a Malemngamba Meetei cross but headed wide from what was the home side’s best chance in the opening 45 minutes.
His miss proved to be costly when Bdo, on as a substitute finished a brilliant through ball from Pritam Singh to put his side ahead just 10 minutes into the pitch.
The home team, however, bounced back in the second half with Ferreira scoring a tap-in from a Subash Singh cross. Singh’s ball into the box was put into the Brazilian’s path by Meetei, who headed the ball down from the free-kick.
Both the Neroca forward Antonio German and Gokulam’s Bodo had chances in the second half to add to their team’s goal tally but they miscued their shots out of target, while Neroca goalkeeper pulled out a brilliant save from substitute Suhair VP before also keeping out Pritam.