Sreenidi Deccan fight back through Castañeda’s header to hold Real Kashmir 1-1 after an impressive home performance.
Real Kashmir FC will feel they let an opportunity slip after being held to a 1-1 draw by Sreenidi Deccan FC at the TRC Stadium in Srinagar on Saturday. The hosts had the better of the first half and went ahead through Thabiso Nelson Brown, but David Castañeda’s header seven minutes after the restart brought Sreenidi back into the contest. Real Kashmir pushed for a winner late on, only to find goalkeeper Kamaljit Singh standing in their way. The result leaves Sreenidi third in the Indian Football League standings, while Kashmir picked up their first point of the season.
Real Kashmir make their early pressure count
Playing at home, Real Kashmir looked comfortable moving the ball through midfield. Rohen Singh, Omoma and Mohit Mittal combined well, while Sreenidi struggled to get much going beyond the occasional counter-attack.
The visitors nearly punished Kashmir for pushing forward when Castañeda found himself through on goal. Susnata Malik, however, came up with an important save to deny the Colombian.
Real Kashmir made their next opportunity count in the 19th minute. Omoma delivered a cross for Marcus Joseph, whose header was kept out by Kamaljit. Brown reacted first to the rebound and put the hosts ahead.
It was a deserved lead considering how the opening half had unfolded. Sreenidi had experienced players in midfield, including Pronay Halder, but they were finding it difficult to play through Kashmir’s pressure. The home side went into the break looking the more convincing team.
Sreenidi respond, but Kamaljit denies Real Kashmir a winner
Sreenidi looked sharper after the interval, and their improvement brought an equaliser in the 52nd minute. Adriano Castanheira carried the ball forward before involving Jagdeep Singh, whose cross was met by Castañeda with a powerful header.
That goal changed the contest. Real Kashmir no longer enjoyed the same control in midfield, although Sreenidi were hardly creating chances at will either.
The hosts regained some attacking momentum towards the final quarter. Brown nearly scored his second in the 80th minute, but Kamaljit produced an excellent save to keep his side level.
Kashmir continued pressing during stoppage time without finding another goal. They had done enough to make a case for three points, particularly with their first-half performance, but could not finish the job.
Sreenidi, meanwhile, will be satisfied with the response after a difficult opening half. Their second-half adjustment earned them a point from a match that had initially looked to be slipping away.
IFL 2026-27 – Real Kashmir vs Sreenidi Deccan highlights
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