I-League: Resilient RKFC hand table-toppers Chennai maiden defeat

Coimbatore, Dec 22: Dream debutants Real Kashmir FC Saturday handed over the top ranking Chennai FC its maiden defeat in the ongoing I-League inching closer to the glory of winning the coveted league.
A tight game at Jawaharlal Nehru stadium here saw both the teams fight hard for a break even as the first half ended goalless.
It was in the 75th minute that Kofi Tetteh won a spot kick for Real Kashmir in shape of a penalty. Chennai’s Gaurav Bora was the guilty party.
Tetteh then scored giving RKFC the vital lead.
In 39th minute, Danish Farooq headed into the net beautifully but the goal was disallowed as the referee had raised the flag for a foul.
Real Kashmir had, at least, four perfect chances to score but some unlucky moments coupled with decent defence from the opposite team prevented it.
Krizo, in the 62nd minute, nearly pulled off a ripper after he brought down the ball down, swiveled and let it loose on the volley only to hit the crossbar.
The win sees Real Kashmir at number 2 on the table. Chennai, although still the table-toppers faced their first defeat in the nine matches it played so far.
Both the teams are evenly poised with five wins each.
The next two matches are even bigger games for the Snow Leopards. The team will face East Bengal and Mohun Bagan.