I-League: Inter Kashi rise to the top with a narrow win against Delhi FC

Serbian Nikola Stojanovic curled home a brilliant free-kick in the 77th minute to deliver a crucial 1-0 win for Inter Kashi over a resilient 10-man Delhi FC in the 2024-25 I-League at the Coach Ali Hassan Stadium, on Wednesday.

With the win, Antonio Lopez Habas-coached side moved to the top of the points table with 31 points from 16 matches.

Delhi FC, on the other hand, are still languishing at the bottom of the table with 10 points from 16 outings and are hard pressed to avoid relegation. Their winless streak has now stretched to 10 matches.

The home side was reduced to 10 men after their goalkeeper Debnath Mondal was given marching orders at the stroke of halftime.

The match began with expectations high for Inter Kashi. However, Delhi FC’s disciplined defence frustrated Inter Kashi, who found it challenging to penetrate or accelerate past the compact backline.

Stymied by the lack of clear-cut opportunities, Inter Kashi had to rely on crosses from the flanks. However, Inter Kashi’s forwards failed to convert the crosses into goals despite Bryce Miranda and Narayan Das performing well through the wings.

The scales though tilted in favour of Inter Kashi at the stroke of half-time when Delhi FC goalkeeper Mondal was sent off after his reckless challenge on Matija Babovic, who was breaking towards goal.

Yet, even with the man advantage, Inter Kashi struggled to make their numerical superiority count as Delhi’s defence stood firm and closed down spaces effectively.

Inter Kashi still managed to create a chance in the 64th minute when Miranda whipped in a looping cross into the box. Babovic leapt to connect the ball with a header, but substitute goalkeeper Lalmuansanga made a diving save from close range to keep the scoreline goalless.

The breakthrough for Inter Kashi came in the 77th minute. Awarded a free kick 21 yards out, Stojanovic stepped up and expertly curled the ball over the wall to beat goalkeeper Lalmuansanga.

This goal marked Stojanovic’s sixth of the season and underscored his reputation as a clutch performer for Inter Kashi.

Inter Kashi could have extended their lead during the add-on time from another set-piece but Mario Barco’s header from a corner hit the woodwork. However, the missed opportunity didn’t come to haunt them as they eked out a narrow win.

SC Bengaluru widen the gap from relegation.

Sporting Club Bengaluru bagged valuable three points beating Shillong Lajong FC 2-0 in the I-League 2024-25 at the Bangalore Football Stadium on Wednesday.

The winners scored once in each half through Clarence Fernandes (24’) and Spanish striker Jordan Lamela (49’).

The result kept them in 10th place but put them six points above their nearest relegation rivals, Aizawl FC. Shillong Lajong, meanwhile, remains stuck in the mid-table.

Over the past few weeks, SC Bengaluru — buoyed in part by their own successes — seem a rejuvenated side, far different from the one that had lost by five goals in the teams’ first encounter this season.

In the early goings of this game, they were thoroughly confident and eager to pass the ball through their opponents, the highest scorers in the league.

If the tactic seemed risky, it was proven to be justified, when Clarence Fernandes rose high to head in a corner in the 24th minute sparking jubilation on the Bengaluru bench.

Lajong looked listless through the half and were barely able to conjure anything of note in the final third, even their attempts mostly wayward and from long range.

Even after the opener, Bengaluru continued to push the pressure buttons harder and weren’t just better in the defence but in their overall ability to control the game itself. They carried the momentum into the second half and within four minutes of the restart doubled their lead.

Having cut through two defenders, Jordan Lamela took the ball on his left to fire a shot from outside the box toward the far corner. The attempt bounced off the upright straight into the path of Henry Kisseka.

The Ugandan calmly cut past the sliding defender and laid the ball back to Lamela rushing inside the box. He duly smashed it home.

Two minutes later, Kisseka had a chance of his own, drifting into the box from the left channel, opening his body before curling his shot narrowly wide of the far post.

His luck wouldn’t turn, and later, he looked set to score from near the penalty shot, a loose ball in his path only to see it brilliantly parried away by Ranit Sarkar in the Lajong goal.

To Shillong Lajong’s credit they never faded away, and constantly posed a threat, even if the actual result was minimal. In the 80th minute, Phrangki Buam put the ball in the net after a protracted period of Lajong possession only to be flagged offside. With added time came the added potential for late drama.

In injury time Lajong came close to halving the deficit, from a series of corners, Damaitphang Lyngdoh the closest, heading wide. Bengaluru gratefully pocketed the three points though, putting some daylight between them and the two clubs in the relegation zone below.