Sreenidi Deccan go down fighting to Mohammedan SC in Naihati | I-League 2023-24

Sreenidi Deccan FC suffered their second loss in the ongoing I-League, going down 1-2 against Mohammedan SC at the Naihati Stadium on Sunday.

The two teams, tied for the first position in the league table ahead of this round of fixtures, put up a display of gritty and ferocious football right from the kickoff.

Mohammedan sent two goals past the Sreenidi defense before substitute William Alves converted a penalty to give the Deccan Warriors a goal in the 85th minute of the game.

Much of the build-up to the game was dominated by the inclusion of Mohammedan SC's international players Mirjalol Kasimov and Alexis Gomez. They returned to action after serving eight-match and four-match suspensions, respectively.

Surprisingly, the duo's suspension seemed to have been revoked moments before the game, and both were in the Black Panthers' starting lineup. Sreenidi claim that they were not informed about this change by the AIFF.

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Sreenidi Deccan dominated large chunks of the game

It was Uzbek Kasimov who gave the hosts the lead with a strike from outside the box in the 37th minute after both sides cancelled each other out in the opening periods.

Striker Eddie Hernandez doubled the lead for the Black Panthers in the 60th minute when he headed a ball in from the right. New signing Alves was responsible for the sole goal scored by the Deccan Warriors.

Sreenidi Deccan dominated large chunks of the game, but their inability to score at opportune moments helped the home team win it by a comfortable margin.

Their head coach Carlos Vaz Pinto, who is renowned for his tactical genius, tried out a shuffle in midfield which worked to outfox Mohammedan but could not produce a result.

Sreenidi Deccan FC will travel to Srinagar to face Real Kashmir in their next I-League encounter on December 7 whereas Mohammedan host Gokulam Kerala on December 8.