Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], April 19 : Goals from Ahteeb Ahmad Dar and Oinam Sanatomba Singh engineered an upset as Real Kashmir FC defeated Sreenidi Deccan FC 2-0 in their IFL 2025-26 encounter at the TRC Stadium on Sunday.
According to a release, the victory provides a major lifeline for the Snow Leopards, who moved up to ninth position to reignite their hopes of avoiding relegation.
Sreenidi Deccan FC, meanwhile, missed the opportunity to go second in the standings, ending the first round with 15 points. Marius Obekop was adjudged the Player of the Match for providing two assists and delivering an outstanding all-round performance.
The match began with intense aerial duels before the visitors established their dominance. Sreenidi Deccan FC controlled possession and threatened early, with David Castaneda testing goalkeeper Furkan Ahmad Dar with a header from a Chhangte cross in the seventh minute.
The Hyderabad-based side dictated the tempo, earning four corners inside the first 27 minutes. Real Kashmir FC operated cautiously, primarily relying on set-pieces, including a dangerous free-kick won after Shedrack Charles was fouled by Ajay Chhetri in the 34th minute, the release said.
Despite defending for most of the half, the hosts broke the deadlock against the run of play in the 45th minute. Obekop dragged Jagdeep Singh wide before delivering a cross for Basit Ahmed Bhat.
His initial shot was brilliantly saved by Kamaljit Singh, but Ahteeb Ahmad Dar reacted quickest to the rebound, slotting a left-footed finish past the goalkeeper to give the hosts a 1-0 lead at the break.
Sreenidi Deccan FC came out strongly after the restart, pushing for an equaliser, but were met by a resolute Real Kashmir defence.
As the pace of the game slowed and the visitors struggled to create clear openings, Real Kashmir nearly doubled their advantage in the 82nd minute when Obekop threaded a precise pass, but Kamaljit produced a superb point-blank save to keep his side in the contest.
In the 88th minute, Sanatomba produced an important goal-line clearance to deny Sreenidi after Furkan was beaten. With seven minutes of stoppage time added, Real Kashmir managed the game well and earned a corner.
From the resulting short corner in the 93rd minute, Obekop found Sanatomba, who curled a stunning effort from distance into the net to seal a 2-0 victory over Sreenidi Deccan.
With this result, the first stage of the Star Cement IFL (spanning 45 matches) officially comes to an end, finalising the standings as the league splits into two phases. Diamond Harbour FC finished at the top with 22 points, establishing a five-point lead.
They are joined in the top-six Championship Phase by Shillong Lajong FC (17 points), Rajasthan United FC (17 points), Sreenidi Deccan FC (15 points), Chanmari FC (11 points), and Dempo Sports Club (9 points), who will all compete for the Star Cement Indian Football League 2025-26 title.
Conversely, the bottom four teams enter the Relegation Phase, where they will fight to secure their position. This group includes Aizawl FC (9 points), Real Kashmir FC (8 points), Gokulam Kerala FC (8 points), and Namdhari FC (7 points).
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