Coimbatore: Debutant Real Kashmir FC pepped up the ongoing 12th I-League title race, inflicting the season’s first defeat 1-0 on table-toppers Chennai City FC following an Abednego Kofi Tetteh penalty conversion late in the second half here at the Nehru stadium on Saturday.
The game was mostly a battle of attrition and the result took Kashmir to the second on the points table, just one point behind Chennai who still lead with 18 points. Both teams have completed nine games.
The visitors made as many as three changes to their starting eleven from the previous game. Mason Robertson, the Scottish defender sat out and was replaced by Muhammad Hammad. So did Nagen Tamang and Khalid Qayoom in midfield and Kashmir lads Farhan Ganie and Danish Farooq played in their stead.
The hosts, on the other hand, made just one change, in that Charles Lourdusamy went out and Pravitto Raju got a start in his place.
Kashmir got the first chance of the game as early as in the third minute when a Surchandra Singh free-kick from near the left corner flag escaped the boots of two Kashmir players very close to the Chennai goalmouth.
The home side then started to try and take control of the game but Kashmir were presenting a compact defensive formation and as much as Chennai’s creative Spanish midfielders Nestor and Sandro tried, they could not find an opening.
The pair first broke through in the 31st minute and Nestor missed one from close, albeit from a narrow angle. Kashmir immediately replied with a Surchandra Singh effort.
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