Srinagar, Jan 14 (PTI) Down to 10 men in the very first minute of the match, Real Kashmir FC held fort to settle for a 2-2 draw with Sreenidi Deccan FC in a crucial I-League clash that had everything from penalties and goals to a red card here on Tuesday.
Sreenidi Deccan took the lead twice in the match through Faysal Shayesteh (2nd minute) and Angel Orelien (15th) only to see Real Kashmir’s Paulo Cezar (4th) and Muhammad Hammad (22nd) scoring timely equalisers.
Real Kashmir’s Cameroonian recruit Aminou Bouba was shown the red card in less than a minute.
The draw meant Real Kashmir occupy the eighth spot in the table with 10 points from eight games.
Sreenidi Deccan, on the other hand, also have the same number of points after playing an identical number of matches but they see themselves at ninth spot because of an inferior goal difference.
In another match in Margao, Gokulam Kerala FC beat Dempo Sports Club 1-0 with Abhijith K scoring the all-important goal in the 86th minute.
Gokulam are now unbeaten in five matches and climbed to second on the table. Dempo, meanwhile, continued their miserable run of form, as they lost their fourth match on the trot.
Sreenidi-Real Kashmir match got off to an intense start when Bouba was dismissed for a foul inside the penalty area. Shayesteh converted the penalty that resulted from the foul in the second minute to put Sreenidi Deccan ahead.
Contrary to expectations, the 10-man Real Kashmir side did not retreat but responded swiftly. In the fourth minute, a cleverly taken short corner allowed Lalramsanga to assist Cezar, whose precise header restored parity.
Undeterred by the setback, Sreenidi Deccan regained the lead in the 15th minute. Following a series of passes that dissected the Kashmir defence, Orelien found himself with space to unleash a fierce shot that found the net, demonstrating the attacking prowess of the Deccan Warriors.
The persistent spirit of Real Kashmir shone through yet again as they equalised for the second time in the 22nd minute.
From a well-placed Lalramsanga free-kick, the Sreenidi Deccan keeper managed only a partial clearance, and Hammad was on hand to pounce on the rebound, driving the ball home to level the scores.
As the match progressed, both teams had opportunities to clinch the win. Sreenidi Deccan, inspired by their recent comeback victory against Aizawl FC, pushed hard.
Vanlalremdika struck the woodwork, and Munoz’s header was brilliantly saved by the Real Kashmir goalkeeper, who also denied Orelien’s long-range effort that rattled the crossbar.
Despite playing with a man less for virtually the entire match, Real Kashmir’s defence stood resilient, managing to hold off Sreenidi Deccan’s late surges to ensure the points were shared. PTI AH PDS AT AT
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