I-League 2018-19: 5 talking points from gameweek 9 as Katsumi creates history

#2 Off the field incidents mars on-field action in Kozhikode

Real Kashmir found the headlines for good things they had done so far. Be it the first club from Kashmir to play or their biggest victory in the previous match, the mood in the camp was jubilant. But the Gokulam Kerala match painted a black dot on their white paper.

It all started with the pre-match training session. Real Kashmir alleged a step-motherly attitude from the organisers. A list of their allegations include a) no bus provided by the organisers to reach the training ground; b) the facility of the training ground was worst, to say the least; c) coach and other officials were accused by the groundsmen.

In return, Gokulam reasoned that as it was a ‘Hartal’ day, the bus faced difficulties in reaching the destination. Also, they pointed that, without permission Real Kashmir players and coach tried to invade EMS Stadium, the match venue, which was not allowed for training before a match.

Amid the allegations and counter allegations, the match began on a peaceful note which Gokulam dominated early. They scored in the 20th minute through Pritam Singh and looked for another one. Real Kashmir tried to keep the shape of the defence. However, Surchandra Singh’s stunner in the 69th minute earned a vital away point for Real Kashmir.