NEROCA were the dominant side in the early stages, with midfielders Mirjalol Kasimov and Tangva Ragui doing most of the running. The Orange Brigade, however, were unable to translate that possession into goals, while the hosts were happy to sit back and defend
The hosts start as favourites by virtue of their 100 per cent win rate at home so far, which includes victories against Sudeva Delhi FC (3-0) and Rajasthan United FC (1-0) in their last two fixtures.
An early second-half goal from Sreekuttan VS helped the defending champions win their second game in a row, thus also maintaining a perfect home record
Dodi Ndo's second-half strike, followed by a Shijin T brace gave the defending champions their first win in four matches, taking them to third place on the standings. However, for the visitors, the result means a fifth straight loss as they remain rooted to the bottom of the points table
The defending champions return back to their home turf after facing a series of disappointing results since their back-to-back wins at the start of the season.
An early first-half tap-in goal by Lalhmangaihsanga Ralte was cancelled out by a second-half strike from Shijin Thadhayouse as the hosts held the two-time champions to a draw.
On the other hand, the Red Machines have endured a tough beginning to this campaign, suffering losses at home to Rajasthan United FC (1-2) and Sreenidi Deccan FC (2-3), before playing out a 1-1 draw away to Mumbai Kenkre FC.
Following this victory, Sreenidi Deccan have now won three out of their four games and have nine points on the table. Gokulam Kerala conceded their first goal this season as they now have seven points on the table with two wins and a draw from their four games.
The home side will be high on confidence after picking up two wins in their last two fixtures, the most recent of which was a 1-0 victory against TRAU FC. The visitors have had a solid start to the season as well, playing out a goalless draw in their last outing against Real Kashmir FC
The case dates back about seven years when the decapitated body of a Dalit youth, named V Gokulraj was found near a railway track in the Namakkal district of Tamil Nadu in 2015.