Kerala Blasters had gone behind twice in five matches this season but didn't manage to get anything out of the game. It went behind for a third time against SC East Bengal on Sunday courtesy an own goal in the first quarter of the game. East Bengal was comfortable playing the waiting game and asking Blasters to do all the work with the possession.

After the half-time break, Kibu Vicuna made three changes, including the introduction of Sahal Abdul Samad. There was no easing into action for the 23-year-old midfielder, who was out for a month with a quad injury. He had to play on the left side of the forward line and help his team get something out of this game.

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With his first touch of the ball, he made a simple pass back to Jessel Carneiro. With his second, he sold his teammate Vicente Gomez short but immediately ran on to the loose ball and played a first time reverse pass to Carneiro, whose cross was cut off.

For his third touch, Sahal pulled out his now-trademark move which was meant for the highlight reel. He dropped further infield, closely followed by Matti Steinman, as Blasters keeper Albino Gomes rifled a kick low and hard into the centre circle. With Steinman breathing down his neck, Sahal killed the pace on the ball by chesting it down, feigned to turn right before pirouetting over the ball to turn away and set Blasters on the break. The feign and turn suckered Steinman in and caused him to stumble and fall over. You just had to see it with your own eyes.

Sahal celebrates Jeakson's late equaliser against East Bengal. - ISL/Sportzpics

But the pressing concern for a vested Blasters fan would have been how this can translate into goals or assists, when the team has struggled to create goal-scoring chances this season.

In the 71st minute, he showed what he can offer, and what Vicuna hopes he can add to this misfiring team, in the final third of the game. East Bengal goalkeeper Debjit Majumder rushed off his line to punch the ball away and Sahal jumped to head into the path of an unmarked Jordan Murray inside the box. It needed a stunning fingertip save from Debjit to keep the shot from going in.

Between then and until the final minutes of the stoppage time, Sahal didn't have much to do on the ball but was constantly on the move: dropping deep to show for his teammates and making runs down the channel to provide an outlet.

With Blasters piling on the pressure and the men forward in search of the equaliser, Sahal's quality came through in the final minutes of the game. His deflected effort won his team a corner from which the ball broke on to the edge of the box. It might have been tempting for him to go for glory and have a crack at goal through a pile of bodies from a difficult angle. Instead, he set himself up with two touches and hooked an outswinging cross into the six-yard area, where Jeakson Singh leapt high to power home the goal.

Sahal had one more touch left in the game, which could have sealed the three points for Blasters. He outran Scott Neville to get on the end of a hooked pass by Murray but had his outside of the boot shot deflected behind for a corner.

There are plenty of expectations surrounding Sahal Abdul Samad, not least from a vociferous fanbase in Kerala Blasters. Turning and running at defenders is what Sahal loves to do but this Blasters team needs him to be so much more. This is Blasters' worst start to the season after failing to win in their first six matches. On Sunday, Sahal showed flashes of what this team has been missing in the last few matches.