Defending champions Kannur Warriors FC returned to winning ways with a 2-1 victory over Forca Kochi FC in the White Gold Super League Kerala at the Jawahar Municipal Stadium on Friday. Nijo Gilbert emerged as the standout performer, delivering two crucial crosses that led to Kannur’s goals.
The result lifted Kannur to seven points from three matches in the six-team competition, while Forca Kochi suffered their first defeat of the season after winning their previous two fixtures. Kochi remain on five points.
Kannur initially struggled to find their rhythm, with their defence showing signs of vulnerability. Forca Kochi attempted to capitalise through crosses into the penalty area, and Diljith came close to breaking the deadlock around the half-hour mark. However, his effort from inside the box took a deflection off a defender and went wide.
The defending champions eventually found their breakthrough in the 39th minute. Gilbert delivered an inviting cross from the right flank, which Serbian forward Bogdan Stamenkovic met with a well-directed header to put Kannur ahead.
Gilbert was instrumental again shortly after the restart. His second delivery from the right found Faslu Rahman, who finished into the far corner in the 49th minute to extend Kannur’s advantage.
Forca Kochi responded three minutes later as Rahul Raju converted Harshal Rahman’s cross from the right in the 52nd minute, reducing the deficit and setting up a tense finish.
Kochi pushed for an equaliser, but goalkeeper Hajmal denied Diljith with an important save. Their hopes suffered another setback when Nithin Madhu was sent off, forcing them to finish the closing stages with 10 players.
Kannur held firm to secure a valuable win and get their campaign back on track after losing to Thiruvananthapuram Kombans in a penalty shootout in their previous outing.
SLK 2026 Points Table: Updated Standings on October 9
Check out the latest Super League Kerala 2026 points table here-
| Pos | Team | P | W | SO W | SO L | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kannur Warriors FC | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 7 |
| 2 | Calicut FC | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 5 |
| 3 | Forca Kochi FC | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 5 |
| 4 | Thiruvananthapuram Kombans FC | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 2 |
| 5 | Malappuram FC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 1 |
| 6 | Thrissur Magic FC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 1 |
P – Played, W – Won, SO W – Shootout Win, SO L – Shootout Loss, L – Loss, GF – Goals For, GA – Goals Against, GD – Goal Difference, PTS – Points
Story first published: Friday, October 9, 2026, 21:49 [IST]
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