Former Chennaiyin FC central defender Enes Sipovic proved to be the match-winner for Kerala, coming up with a headed goal in the 49th minute. KBFC jumped to third on the table with 26 points from 15 matches while SCEB, which is on a five-game winless streak, occupies the penultimate position with 10 points from 17 fixtures.

There weren’t many goal-scoring chances in the first half as both teams failed to break the deadlock. However, four minutes into the second period, Kerala took the lead via Sipovic. The towering Sipovic got on the end of a corner-kick and headed the ball past East Bengal goalkeeper Sankar Roy for his maiden goal in the ISL.

KBFC maintained its slender one-goal lead until the final whistle, thanks to a determined defensive performance. It is to be noted that Kerala missed three members of its first-choice backline due to suspensions and injury.

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