Hero I-League | Real Kashmir get off to dream start with win over Minerva Punjab FC
I-League’s freshest debutants, Real Kashmir FC, registered a massive 1-0 win against defending champions Minerva Punjab FC in the season opener at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium in Ludhiana. Meanwhile, Gokulam Kerala FC held Neroca FC to a 1-1 draw in Imphal to register their first points of the season.
Minerva Punjab FC vs Real Kashmir FC
Real Kashmir FC stunned defending champions Minerva Punjab FC on Wednesday as they got off to a sensational start in their maiden I-League campaign. The first team from the Valley to play in the country's elite league, Real Kashmir FC, scored the game's only goal through Gnohere Krizo's 73rd minute strike which helped them secure all three points from their very first game in the top flight.
The emergence of Real Kashmir and their elevation to the I-League continued to remain one of the most fascinating stories of Indian football. Only established three years ago, Real Kashmir won the second division league last season to achieve promotion to the I-League.
Defending champions, Minerva Punjab, made two changes to their starting line-up that drew 0-0 against Churchill Brothers. Nongdamba Naorem and Manandeep Singh missed out as they were replaced by Makan Chothe and Kouame Alexandre. Robertson fielded his side in a 3-5-2 formation with Dharmaraj Ravanan, Mason Robertson, and Loveday Okechukwu as the three defenders. Things were pretty even for most parts of the match in Ludhiana as the home team came close to scoring in the early stages of the second half, but in the 74th minute, Krozi got hold of the ball inside the Minerva box and turned and unleashed a powerful drive beyond goalie Bhaskar Roy to bag three points for the visitors
Neroca FC vs Gokulam Kerala FC
Meanwhile, Gokulam Kerala FC broke their jinx against Neroca FC on Wednesday after the south Indian side had suffered two defeats against the northerners twice last season. Newly-appointed Neroca FC boss Manuel Fraile induced two changes from the loss against Shillong Lajong as Varney Kallon, who was injured, made a comeback in his usual position as well as Ronald made his first start of the season.
On the opposite side, Bino George made a drastic four changes in the starting line-up as he brought in Rashid K, Pritam Singh, Monotosh and Rajesh S who had a spectacular game against Mohun Bagan in the first game. The match began with an intense attacking intent form both sides but did not really lead to any concrete attempts on goal. At the stroke of the half-hour mark, Malem Meitei put in a long ball for Aryn Williams who wasted what might have been the best opportunity for the hosts in the first half. Baoringdao Bodo opened the scoring for the visitors at the stroke of half-time but Eduardo Ferriera (59') bagged a perfect equaliser for the home team to open their tally in the 12th edition of the I-League and secure their first points of the season in Imphal.
