Kerala Blasters FC split honours with Jamshedpur FC on the night playing out a 1-1 draw, but rode on two top-draw defensive displays to pip the League Shield winners 2-1 on aggregate over two legs and qualify for their first final since 2016, in the 2021-22 Indian Super League at the Tilak Maidan Stadium here on Tuesday.

Adrian Luna (18th) opened the scoring for Kerala with a stunning goal before Pronay Halder (50th) pulled one back for the Red Miners who needed one more goal to take the game to extra time, but another solid performance by the Kerala backline ensured they held firm and confirm a place in the summit clash since their defeat to ATK FC six years back.

In the first leg, Sahal Abdul Samad scored the only goal in a 1-0 win for Kerala who made it to their third ISL final. They were the finalists in the inaugural 2014 edition as well.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/atletico-madrid-win-at-old-trafford-to-knock-out-cristiano-ronaldo-starrer-manchester-united-462773">Atletico Madrid win at Old Trafford to knock out Cristiano Ronaldo-starrer Manchester United</a>

The yellow shirts started the second leg without the injured Sahal but showed no signs of slowing down, almost taking the lead inside the first two minutes had Alvaro Vazquez not tried to be cheeky when one on one with the keeper, dinking the ball over T.P. Rehenesh in Jamshedpur goal and wide of the far post.

Four minutes later, Vazquez got possession deep inside his own half to then set up Ayush Adhikari but Rehenesh was alert to the danger, coming out of his line in time.

Kerala found a lot of joy as Jamshedpur full-backs pushed forward leaving a lot of spaces for their rivals to exploit.

Adhikari got another chance from a Jorge Diaz cross but Jamshedpur skipper Peter Hartley put his body on the line to snuff out the danger.

Vazquez atoned for his miss earlier in the half soon after, flicking on a delightful pass from the left flank for Luna who darted in, dropped a shoulder and curled a side-footed effort past Rehenesh and into the right corner.

After the cooling break, Daniel Chima Chukwu thought he had pulled Jamshedpur back in the game but his stab from close was ruled offside, albeit belatedly after keeping his flag down initially.

Prabhsukhan Gill was then at fault in Kerala goal as he punched a Greg Stewart free-kick over his head with Jamshedpur players all surrounding him, but eventually, the referee blew the whistle for a foul, much to the keeper's relief.

AT the break, Kerala led 2-0 on aggregate. Five minutes into the restart, Halder nicked one in to get Jamshedpur back in the game, poking in a Stewart corner which was initially met by Chima whose header lacked power and fell to Halder who netted from two yards out.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cas-upholds-uefa-ban-on-russian-teams-pending-appeal-462664">CAS upholds UEFA ban on Russian teams pending appeal</a>

One minute later, Vazquez could have all but sealed the tie for Kerala but Rehenesh was on hand to save from a chip after the Spaniard was one on one with him.

The ball, though, kept rolling goalwards with Eli Sabia but the Brazilian did enough to clear it off the line.

Kerala kept pushing for more as Marko Leskovic, brilliant at the back again, dragged a header wide while Jorge Diaz had Rahul KP free in front of goal but instead lobbed the ball over the keeper trying to score himself.

In between the two chances for Kerala, Jitendra Singh's header was cleared timely off the goalline by Diaz after the ball was rolling goalwards despite Gill getting a hand to it.

Kerala Blasters FC split honours with Jamshedpur FC on the night playing out a 1-1 draw, but rode on two top-draw defensive displays to pip the League Shield winners 2-1 on aggregate over two legs and qualify for their first final since 2016, in the 2021-22 Indian Super League at the Tilak Maidan Stadium here on Tuesday.

Kerala Blasters FC split honours with Jamshedpur FC on the night playing out a 1-1 draw, but rode on two top-draw defensive displays to pip the League Shield winners 2-1 on aggregate over two legs and qualify for their first final since 2016, in the 2021-22 Indian Super League at the Tilak Maidan Stadium here on Tuesday. Adrian Luna (18th) opened the scoring for Kerala with a stunning goal before Pronay Halder (50th) pulled one back for the Red Miners who needed one more goal to take the game to extra time, but another solid performance by the Kerala backline ensured they held firm and confirm a place in the summit clash since their defeat to ATK FC six years back. In the first leg, Sahal Abdul Samad scored the only goal in a 1-0 win for Kerala who made it to their third ISL final. They were the finalists in the inaugural 2014 edition as well. ALSO READ: Atletico Madrid win at Old Trafford to knock out Cristiano Ronaldo-starrer Manchester United The yellow shirts started the second leg without the injured Sahal but showed no signs of slowing down, almost taking the lead inside the first two minutes had Alvaro Vazquez not tried to be cheeky when one on one with the keeper, dinking the ball over T.P. Rehenesh in Jamshedpur goal and wide of the far post. Four minutes later, Vazquez got possession deep inside his own half to then set up Ayush Adhikari but Rehenesh was alert to the danger, coming out of his line in time. Kerala found a lot of joy as Jamshedpur full-backs pushed forward leaving a lot of spaces for their rivals to exploit. Adhikari got another chance from a Jorge Diaz cross but Jamshedpur skipper Peter Hartley put his body on the line to snuff out the danger. Vazquez atoned for his miss earlier in the half soon after, flicking on a delightful pass from the left flank for Luna who darted in, dropped a shoulder and curled a side-footed effort past Rehenesh and into the right corner. After the cooling break, Daniel Chima Chukwu thought he had pulled Jamshedpur back in the game but his stab from close was ruled offside, albeit belatedly after keeping his flag down initially. Prabhsukhan Gill was then at fault in Kerala goal as he punched a Greg Stewart free-kick over his head with Jamshedpur players all surrounding him, but eventually, the referee blew the whistle for a foul, much to the keeper's relief. AT the break, Kerala led 2-0 on aggregate. Five minutes into the restart, Halder nicked one in to get Jamshedpur back in the game, poking in a Stewart corner which was initially met by Chima whose header lacked power and fell to Halder who netted from two yards out. ALSO READ: CAS upholds UEFA ban on Russian teams pending appeal One minute later, Vazquez could have all but sealed the tie for Kerala but Rehenesh was on hand to save from a chip after the Spaniard was one on one with him. The ball, though, kept rolling goalwards with Eli Sabia but the Brazilian did enough to clear it off the line. Kerala kept pushing for more as Marko Leskovic, brilliant at the back again, dragged a header wide while Jorge Diaz had Rahul KP free in front of goal but instead lobbed the ball over the keeper trying to score himself. In between the two chances for Kerala, Jitendra Singh's header was cleared timely off the goalline by Diaz after the ball was rolling goalwards despite Gill getting a hand to it.

ISL: Kerala edge past League Shield winner Jamshedpur 2-1 over two legs to book first final berth since 2016

Jamshedpur FC and Kerala Blasters shared points after they played 1-1 draw in the Indian Super League at the Tilak Maidan Stadium, here on Sunday. 
 
Stewart scored a stunning goal from a free kick in the 14th minute but it was equalised by Sahal Abdul Samad who scored a third successive goal in the 27th minute. After that, both teams looked for the winning goal but had to be content with a point in the end. 
 
The result means Kerala Blasters are now third in the table with 13 points from eight matches while Jamshedpur are second, having the same number of points from eight games but ahead on a goal scored.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/premier-league-crystal-palace-manager-patrick-vieira-to-miss-spurs-game-after-testing-positive-for-covid-19-440156">Premier League: Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira to miss Spurs game after testing positive for COVID-19</a> 
 
Stewart showed early signs of continuing his purple patch with a wonderful first touch to receive a ball on the edge of the box but the Scottish forward`s attempt went wide of goal. 
 
Minutes later, the 31-year old scored an incredible goal from a free-kick after Boris Singh was hacked down by Harmanjot Khabra on the inside left channel. 
 
Showing skill of the highest order, Stewart curled a left-footer around the Jamshedpur wall to beat the keeper all ends up and nestle in the back of the net off the crossbar. 
 
Kerala did not take long to equalise largely due to Alvaro Vazquez`s spadework as he spun around Peter Hartley and then skipped past another white shirt to shoot on goal, only for TP Rehenesh to dive low and pull off a good save but as far as Samal who turned in the rebound to extend his scoring spree.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/premier-league-aston-villa-manager-steven-gerrard-tests-positive-for-covid-19-to-sit-out-two-games-440066">Premier League: Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard tests positive for COVID-19, to sit out two games</a> 
 
At half-time, both teams went into the break with the scores level. Soon after the restart, Stewart picked up a yellow card for a challenge on Khabra and at the other end, Vazquez`s delicious chip came off the crossbar after Hartley uncharacteristically failed to clear the ball. 
 
Both sides upped the ante and it was end-to-end stuff in the last half hour or so. Vazquez forced Rehenesh into action with a low shot that went out for a corner while Jitendra Singh`s volley from outside the box took a deflection and went straight to the keeper.

Jamshedpur FC and Kerala Blasters shared points after they played 1-1 draw in the Indian Super League at the Tilak Maidan Stadium, here on Sunday. Stewart scored a stunning goal from a free kick in the 14th minute but it was equalised by Sahal Abdul Samad who scored a third successive goal in the 27th minute.

Jamshedpur FC and Kerala Blasters shared points after they played 1-1 draw in the Indian Super League at the Tilak Maidan Stadium, here on Sunday. Stewart scored a stunning goal from a free kick in the 14th minute but it was equalised by Sahal Abdul Samad who scored a third successive goal in the 27th minute. After that, both teams looked for the winning goal but had to be content with a point in the end. The result means Kerala Blasters are now third in the table with 13 points from eight matches while Jamshedpur are second, having the same number of points from eight games but ahead on a goal scored. ALSO READ: Premier League: Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira to miss Spurs game after testing positive for COVID-19 Stewart showed early signs of continuing his purple patch with a wonderful first touch to receive a ball on the edge of the box but the Scottish forward`s attempt went wide of goal. Minutes later, the 31-year old scored an incredible goal from a free-kick after Boris Singh was hacked down by Harmanjot Khabra on the inside left channel. Showing skill of the highest order, Stewart curled a left-footer around the Jamshedpur wall to beat the keeper all ends up and nestle in the back of the net off the crossbar. Kerala did not take long to equalise largely due to Alvaro Vazquez`s spadework as he spun around Peter Hartley and then skipped past another white shirt to shoot on goal, only for TP Rehenesh to dive low and pull off a good save but as far as Samal who turned in the rebound to extend his scoring spree. ALSO READ: Premier League: Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard tests positive for COVID-19, to sit out two games At half-time, both teams went into the break with the scores level. Soon after the restart, Stewart picked up a yellow card for a challenge on Khabra and at the other end, Vazquez`s delicious chip came off the crossbar after Hartley uncharacteristically failed to clear the ball. Both sides upped the ante and it was end-to-end stuff in the last half hour or so. Vazquez forced Rehenesh into action with a low shot that went out for a corner while Jitendra Singh`s volley from outside the box took a deflection and went straight to the keeper.

ISL 2021-22: Jamshedpur FC, Kerala Blasters share honours in 1-1 draw

SC East Bengal's search for the first win in this edition of Indian Super League continued as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Kerala Blasters FC at the Tilak Maidan Stadium here on Sunday.

This was the third consecutive draw between these two teams in the ISL which extends SCEB's winless streak to six games.

Tomislav Mrcela (37th) opened his account in the ISL by scoring with a header for SC East Bengal before Alvaro Vazquez (44th) equalised with a well taken shot just before half time.

Alvaro Vazquez looked to have sent the Blasters into the lead but the referee reversed his decision and disallowed the goal as he blew his whistle before the striker had put the ball past the goalkeeper.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/isl-2021-22-jonathan-cristian-stars-as-odisha-fc-beat-northeast-united-fc-1-0-jump-to-second-place-435924">ISL 2021-22: Jonathan Cristian stars as Odisha FC beat NorthEast United FC 1-0, jump to second place</a>

Within minutes after that incident, Prabhsukhan Gill made a crucial save, keeping Antonio Perosevic at bay.

There was a dearth of scoring opportunities in the first half until Tomislav Mrcela found the back of the net with his head. The centre-back got on the end of a long throw from Raju Gaikwad and headed the ball past the keeper from close range.

KBFC then lost their defender Enes Sipovic to an injury as he left the pitch disappointed and got replaced by Abdul Hakku.

With a couple of minutes to go to half time, Vazquez's right footed shot from outside the box took a wicked deflection from Mrcela and went inside the back of the net, pulling the game back to equal terms.

Thongkosiem Haokip and Amarjit Singh Kiyam received a yellow card each in the first half for poor challenges.

The second half got off to a cagey start with both teams cancelling each other out and struggling for momentum in the final third.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/worried-xavi-hernandez-says-he-has-to-create-a-new-barcelona-after-teams-dismal-performance-continues-436303">Worried Xavi Hernandez says he has to create a new Barcelona after team's dismal performance continues</a>

Vazquez attempted a long-range shot late into the second half which was parried away by the goalkeeper. It was the last contribution from the Spaniard as Ivan Vukomanovic sent Jorge Diaz in his place from the bench.

A second goal was disallowed for the Yellow Army on the stroke of 89th minute after Diaz seemingly pushed a defender before heading a cross into the net. The contest ended without any goals in the second half and the points were shared between the two sides.

SC East Bengal will face Khalid Jamil's NorthEast United in their next fixture on Friday while Kerala Blasters FC have a tough match against reigning champions Mumbai City FC.&nbsp;

SC East Bengal's search for the first win in this edition of Indian Super League continued as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Kerala Blasters FC at the Tilak Maidan Stadium here on Sunday.

SC East Bengal's search for the first win in this edition of Indian Super League continued as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Kerala Blasters FC at the Tilak Maidan Stadium here on Sunday. This was the third consecutive draw between these two teams in the ISL which extends SCEB's winless streak to six games. Tomislav Mrcela (37th) opened his account in the ISL by scoring with a header for SC East Bengal before Alvaro Vazquez (44th) equalised with a well taken shot just before half time. Alvaro Vazquez looked to have sent the Blasters into the lead but the referee reversed his decision and disallowed the goal as he blew his whistle before the striker had put the ball past the goalkeeper. ALSO READ: ISL 2021-22: Jonathan Cristian stars as Odisha FC beat NorthEast United FC 1-0, jump to second place Within minutes after that incident, Prabhsukhan Gill made a crucial save, keeping Antonio Perosevic at bay. There was a dearth of scoring opportunities in the first half until Tomislav Mrcela found the back of the net with his head. The centre-back got on the end of a long throw from Raju Gaikwad and headed the ball past the keeper from close range. KBFC then lost their defender Enes Sipovic to an injury as he left the pitch disappointed and got replaced by Abdul Hakku. With a couple of minutes to go to half time, Vazquez's right footed shot from outside the box took a wicked deflection from Mrcela and went inside the back of the net, pulling the game back to equal terms. Thongkosiem Haokip and Amarjit Singh Kiyam received a yellow card each in the first half for poor challenges. The second half got off to a cagey start with both teams cancelling each other out and struggling for momentum in the final third. ALSO READ: Worried Xavi Hernandez says he has to create a new Barcelona after team's dismal performance continues Vazquez attempted a long-range shot late into the second half which was parried away by the goalkeeper. It was the last contribution from the Spaniard as Ivan Vukomanovic sent Jorge Diaz in his place from the bench. A second goal was disallowed for the Yellow Army on the stroke of 89th minute after Diaz seemingly pushed a defender before heading a cross into the net. The contest ended without any goals in the second half and the points were shared between the two sides. SC East Bengal will face Khalid Jamil's NorthEast United in their next fixture on Friday while Kerala Blasters FC have a tough match against reigning champions Mumbai City FC.

ISL 2021-22: SC East Bengal held by Kerala Blasters FC 1-1