Captain Mailson Alves’ header gives Thrissur Magic FC first win of the season over Calicut FC

Kozhikode: Thrissur Magic FC claimed their first win of the Super League Kerala season with a 1-0 victory over hosts Calicut FC at EMS Stadium on Saturday, thanks to a header from captain Mailson Alves. After two matches, both teams now sit on three points each.

The opening 20 minutes saw Calicut FC struggle to create meaningful opportunities. Their first notable attempt came in the 21st minute when a corner taken by captain Prasanth dipped dangerously towards Thrissur’s goal, but visiting under-23 goalkeeper Kamaludheeen managed to deflect it.

Thrissur nearly broke the deadlock in the 28th minute when a scramble from the right wing allowed experienced striker Marcus Joseph a shot, but it went wide. The breakthrough arrived in the 36th minute. From a corner delivered by SK Faiaz, Alves rose above two defenders to power a header into the net, giving Thrissur the lead (1-0). Shortly after, Ghanaian forward Francis Addo attempted a bicycle kick, but Calicut goalkeeper Hajmal tipped it over for a corner. Towards the end of the first half, SK Faiaz received a yellow card for a harsh tackle.

Calicut sought to shift momentum early in the second half, introducing Aniket Yadav for Riyas. In the 47th minute, a pass from Prasanth found Colombian forward Sebastián Rincon, whose strike rattled the post. Thrissur made tactical changes, replacing Ivan Markovic with Umasankar and Faiaz with Faisal Ali. Calicut also brought on Sachu, Ajsal, and Arun Kumar in a bid to find an equaliser, but could not penetrate Thrissur’s resolute defence.

In stoppage time, Thrissur had a clear chance through Francis Addo, but it went unconverted, leaving the scoreline unchanged.