A exciting 1-1 match was played out between Real Kashmir and Kenkre FC.
Kalyani: Real Kashmir FC and Kenkre FC battled out an exciting 1-1 draw in Hero I-League 2021-22 at Kalyani Stadium on Friday. Midfielder Vijay Nagappan scored the first goal of the game for Kenkre FC in the 45th minute and one second to give the team an early lead. Real Kashmir controlled possession throughout the second half, and their captain Mason Robertson (66′) capitalised on a chance to put his club back on equal footing with the opposition. Both sides battled until the last whistle in an effort to come out on top, but none of them were able to do so, and the score of the match was a 1-1 tie.
Real Kashmir jumped out to an early lead and continued to threaten Kenkre FC’s goal throughout the first half of the encounter. Tiago Adan made his way into the penalty area from the middle of the field in the fourth minute, but Kenkre goalie Tenzin was able to save his attempt. Jishnu Balakrishnan, who played for Kenkre, attempted a shot from a significant distance in the eighth minute after receiving the ball from a corner kick. However, the shot missed the post by a wide margin. After a few more minutes had passed, Jishnu had another opportunity to score, but this time his free kick flew well over the crossbar.
Mason Robertson was the one to put the Snow Leopards on the scoreboard with his free kick chance that came in the 22nd minute of play. However, the Kenkre wall was able to effectively block his shot. After three minutes, inside the penalty area, Fran Gonzales received a cross from the right, but Kenkre’s defence produced another calm stop, and the golden chance was lost. Real Kashmir had a stronghold within Kenkre FC’s half for the next ten minutes, but the team from Mumbai kept a solid defensive line throughout the whole match.
Malem Meitei attempted to take a shot from within the penalty area in the forty second minute, but the Kenkre defenders were able to block his strike, and the threat was avoided once again. In the 43rd minute, Kenkre was awarded a corner kick, and Vijay Nagappan delivered the cross to the penalty area, where it was met by Kiran Pandhare. However, his header was just slightly off target to the side. Vijay Nagappan, playing for Kenkre FC, broke through the Real Kashmir defence with a counterattacking move just before the half time whistle to give his club a 1-0 lead. The shot was made with his right foot and was aimed towards the bottom right corner of the goal.
The second half got off with Real Kashmir adopting an offensive approach, and they were awarded a corner kick at the 48 minute mark. However, Kenkre FC was able to immediately eliminate the threat, which resulted in the offensive that was mounted being unsuccessful. After another five minutes had passed, a lobbed free-kick taken by Surchandra Singh presented Fran Gonzales with a chance inside the area. The following shot, however, flew toward the byline and Kenkre FC was able to recover it without any problems.
In the 65th minute, Real Kashmir head coach David Robertson decided to sub in Ragav Gupta for Meitei in order to give his team a boost of energy. Mason Robertson of Real Kashmir was able to score a goal less than a minute after Real Kashmir changed their formation. Ragav provided an outstanding pass to his captain inside the 6-yard box, and Robertson was able to gather the ball with relative ease before putting it past the goalkeepers. Tenzin, the goalie for Kenkre FC, produced an outstanding straight shot from Jongoh Park in the minute 73 of the match. Tenzin maintained his composure and successfully caught the ball.
After another five minutes had passed, Robertson was presented with another chance when the ball fell at his feet after a cross that Prasad had made inside the area. The captain of Real Kashmir, however, blasted the ball well beyond the goalpost, so blowing a golden chance.
In the 87th minute of play, a corner kick was awarded to Real Kashmir. Tiago was able to get his hands on the ball just before the goal, but the defender for Kenkre FC, Arvind, produced an incredible stop just in front of the goal line, which allowed his side to win the match. Robertson kept making dangerous penetrations inside the box of Kenkre FC, but he was unable to find the finishing touch, and Kenkre FC was able to keep Real Kashmir scoreless and gain a point.
The match between Real Kashmir and Gokulam Kerala FC will take place on March 7, 2022, while the match between Kenkre FC and RoundGlass Punjab Football Club will take place on March 8, 2022.