Ajaraie back to scoring as NorthEast United pulls off comeback win against Hyderabad FC
Ajaraie back to scoring as NorthEast United pulls off comeback win against Hyderabad FC
Change of coach didn’t mean a change in fortunes for Hyderabad FC.
With an interim coach taking charge, the Nizams continued to disappoint at home as NorthEast United FC recorded a convincing 5-2 win in the Indian Super League match at the GMC Balayogi Stadium in Hyderabad on Monday.
This loss also meant that Hyderabad was yet to win a home game since February 2023 with the loss to Juan Pedro Benali’s men the side’s first loss after a nine-game-long unbeaten streak against the Highlanders.
Hyderabad FC pressed on the offensive from the beginning, as Edmilson Correia took the onus with a solo effort in the fifth minute.
Seven minutes later, Cy Goddard controlled the ball impeccably in a pocket of space down the middle outside of the 18-yard box. He played a pass for Sourav K on the right flank, whose perfectly weighted cross was met on a bounce by Correia before he dispatched it into the bottom right corner to notch his brace.
The visitor reduced the margin in the18th minute, thanks to Guillermo Fernández who hammered a loose ball into the centre of the goal. NEUFC’s attacking onslaught picked up intensity in the second half and in the 54th minute, Macarton Nickson’s took a deflection off Lenny Rodrigues and landed nearly in the middle of the net to equalise the scores.
It was eventually awarded as an own goal by the Hyderabad FC midfielder.
Seven minutes later, Guillermo got the visitor the lead, after a link-up play with Alaaeddine Ajaraie. Later, Mohammed Bemammer undertook a direct approach when he hauled in a long ball from the centre of the field, and it was met perfectly by Ajaraie, who nodded it beyond goalkeeper Karanjit Singh to secure a safe advantage for his team in the 73rd minute to give NEUFC 4-2 lead.
Parthib Gogoi, who came off the bench, received a long pass inside the box and tried to net it from an acute angle on the left flank. The effort didn’t have enough vigour behind it but Saji ended up directing it inside the net after the ball diverted off his lunging challenge, capping off a five-goal outing for the Highlanders.
