Controversy surrounded the Indian Super League quarter-final match between Kerala Blasters FC and Bengaluru FC with Kerala walking out of the game in the first half of extra time and forfeiting the match to Bengaluru who have now entered the semi-finals with a 1-0 scoreline.
Sunil Chhetri scored the only goal of the match, in the seventh minute of extra time, but it was also the moment that led to Kerala's forfeiture. He was taken down by the Kerala defence right at the edge of the penalty area and immediately took the free kick that was awarded to him. Kerala protested that their players weren't ready but when the referee allowed the goal to stay, Kerala's head coach Ivan Vukomanovic instructed his players to leave the pitch.
Bengaluru players waited for the team to return to the pitch till the end of extra time, following which the referee awarded the game to them.
The Blasters dominated possession in the first half but couldn't get past Gurpreet Singh Sandhu in the Bengaluru FC goal. Relying on the quick feet of Roy Krishna and Sivasakthi Narayanan, the Blues were content to play on the counter.
The hosts had six shots in the first half, but only one on target. Three of those shots were attempted by Krishna. The Fijian registered the only shot on target of the half in the 24th minute from a tight angle. Gill almost parried it straight into the path of Hernandez, but it was cleared away for a corner from which Krishna failed to keep his header on target.
Three minutes after the half-hour-mark, Danish Farooq's glancing header from a corner was missed by an unmarked Victor Mongil at the far post before the flag went up for offside against the defender.
The second half was much the same, as the visitors kept more of the ball and the hosts waited to launch on the counter. The Blasters had a chance to test the keeper via a free kick in the 53rd minute, but Adrian Luna skied it. Around the hour-mark, Suresh Wangjam's effort from outside the box flew through traffic and forced a palm behind for a corner by Gill at full stretch.
In the final quarter of the match, the Blasters pressed further up the pitch, but the Bengaluru FC defence kept its shape to deflect attacks. In the 83rd minute, Dimitrios Diamantakos registered his side's first shot on target but his header was claimed comfortably by Sandhu before the game went into extra time.
In the first minute of extra time, Rahul KP tried his luck from range as his shot picked up a flick from Luna and went inches wide at the far post. Bengaluru FC responded instantly at the other end as Bruno Ramires got his head to a corner but sent it over the bar.
In the seventh minute of extra time, a quickly taken free kick by Chhetri flew into the back of the net. The Blasters forfeited the match in disagreement with the decision and a win was awarded to Bengaluru FC.
Bengaluru FC advanced to the next stage of the ISL playoffs. The Blues will take on League Shield Winners Mumbai City FC next in a two-legged semi-final on March 7 and 12 which starts with an away trip.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)