Panaji: Substitute Idrissa Sylla equalised in the dying moments to help NorthEast United hold Kerala Blasters to a 2-2 draw in an Indian Super League game, here on Thursday.
Goals from Sergio Cidoncha (5th minute) and Gary Hooper (45th) gave Kerala a 2-0 lead at the break.
But Ghanaian striker Kwesi Appiah (51st) reduced the margin before Sylla's injury time equaliser enabled NorthEast to go home with a point in their kitty.
After a minute's silence to honour late Diego Maradona, Kerala got off to a dream start with Cidoncha heading in a Seityasen free-kick in the 5th minute.
The Spaniard's looped header was a thing of beauty no goalkeeper in the world could have saved that.
Sahal Abdul Samad's absence had meant that Cidoncha was playing higher up and that strategy worked a treat.
In the 23rd minute, Hooper fluffed a sitter when NorthEast's defense was caught off guard.
Cidoncha, after receiving the ball from Hooper, squared it back to him, with the Englishman facing an open goal. Hooper's first-time shot, though, blazed over the bar.
Also Read:When Diego Maradona left Kolkata enthralled
Both teams struggled to create clear-cut chances until the end of the first half when an offensive move from Kerala ended with the referee pointing to the spot.
Rakesh Pradhan was rather harshly adjudged to have slashed Lalthathanga Khawlhring down. Hooper fired the resulting penalty straight down the middle.