KALYANI, Jan 19:
Real Kashmir FC were held to a 1-1 draw by debutants Sudeva Delhi FC at the Kalyani Municipal Stadium here today.
A wonder strike by Shaiborlang Kharpan from 35 yards was cancelled out by Mason Robertson in the 75th minute, as both the teams shared the spoils of battle in a cagey match where chances were rare.
Real Kashmir had a chance in the 10th minute when Danish Farooq pounced on a loose ball and ran towards the byline to whip in a cross. His delivery missed the Kashmir forwards as well as the opposition goalkeeper as the ball went out of play.
In the 12th minute, a header off a free-kick went wide of the Sudeva goal as Real Kashmir hunted for an early lead.
With Real Kashmir dominating possession in the final third, Sudeva looked to stop their forwards by committing bodies in defence. The Delhi outfit sat back and soaked pressure, clearing away loose balls and rarely found a sniff of the Kashmir goal.
Kean Lewis, who had been a bright spark for Sudeva in the last two matches, was well marked by the opposition defence, making life extremely difficult for the winger on the flank.
In the 19th minute, Sudeva had their first shot on target when Shaiborlang Kharpan’s first-time attempt brought out a decent save from the opposition custodian.
Dangerous in counter-attack, Sudeva tried to once again breach the citadel, this time from distance in the 21st minute. However, their attempts were still kept out by the goalkeeper. (PTI)
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