I-League: Namdhari FC hands Real Kashmir FC their first defeat

Title contenders Real Kashmir FC’s first match away from home in the I-League 2024-25 season ended in disappointment as they went down to hosts Namdhari FC by a solitary goal at the Namdhari Stadium on Sunday.

While Namdhari now has seven points after Round Five and earned their second consecutive win, Real Kashmir has eight. The men from Srinagar suffered their first defeat. Namdhari have now moved to fifth place in the points table and are breathing down Real Kashmir’s neck, who are currently placed fourth.

Namdhari’s Brazilian striker Cledson Dasilva Degol scored the only goal of the match in the 15th minute. Yet, the skillful player’s day didn’t end on a happy note as he received the marching orders in the 60th minute for a rather serious tackle-from-behind foul in the middle.

While Degol’s exit reduced the home side to 10 men, Real Kashmir failed to take advantage of it despite having total control over the proceedings. Namdhari lived a charmed life, survived innumerable close calls, but took home full points after the 97-minute extended battle.

Namdhari displayed enough attacking prowess initially and opened up the Real Kashmir defense on at least four occasions.

From one such move in the 15th minute, Degol, always in the thick of things, sent a low and angular header home after the move was initiated from the left. This was the Brazilian’s fourth goal of the season.

Real Kashmir was in real shock. They took time to take stock of the situation and began the second half in a whirlwind fashion. They stormed the rival goal but failed when it was needed most.

If Lalramdinsanga Ralte miss-kicked in front of the goal, then the next moment Ghanaian Kamal Issah failed to keep his shot on target despite having the frame clear in front of him.

Soon enough the Namdhari goalkeeper Jaspreet Singh would be beaten, only to find defender and captain Akashdeep Singh coming to the rescue with a goalline clearance. The Namdhari penalty box was the most crowded area in the stadium, but Real Kashmir attackers could never make the ball cross the Namdhari goalline.