Thrissur Magic FC secured their first victory of the White Gold Super League Kerala season after edging past Thiruvananthapuram Kombans FC 4-3 in a penalty shootout at the Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium on Friday.
Substitute goalkeeper K.M. Parthiv emerged as the match-winner, producing two crucial saves to seal the victory after the teams played out a goalless draw in regulation time.
The under-23 goalkeeper was introduced specifically for the tiebreaker and justified the decision by denying Nisham and Jamsheed Ali from the spot. The result ended Thiruvananthapuram’s impressive run of two consecutive home victories decided by penalty shootouts, while last season’s runners-up Thrissur finally opened their account.
The hosts threatened to break the deadlock in the first half, but Brazilian midfielder Patrick Mota saw his 40th-minute free-kick crash against the crossbar. Joseph Gordon subsequently missed the target narrowly in first-half stoppage time.
Thrissur suffered an early setback when Brazilian captain Mailson Alves left the field with a bleeding nose during his first appearance for the team.
After the restart, N.A. Anshid created opportunities from the left flank, including a promising delivery for Spanish forward Sergio Gil, whose effort was blocked by defender Pradeesh. Thiruvananthapuram also came close through Adil and Paulo, but neither could convert their opportunities.
Despite late pressure from Thrissur, the home defence held firm until the final whistle, forcing a shootout. Parthiv then delivered under pressure to earn Magic FC a memorable first win of the campaign.