Mohammedan Sporting stood a victory away from winning the I-League after settling for a 1-1 draw against Inter Kashi here on Saturday.
The point means they still need three more points from their remaining three fixtures to win the title.
On the other hand, if Sreenidi Deccan lose their fixture against Rajasthan United on Sunday, it would give the Kolkata club their maiden I-League crown.
Equipped with the knowledge that they needed just four points to wrap up the title and with it promotion, Mohammedan started the game in a frenzy.
Within the first 10 minutes, they had the lead as Alexis Gomez (8') interchanged quick passes with Eddie Hernandez before shooting low and hard from distance to beat Arindam Bhattacharya in the Inter Kashi goal.
Inter Kashi were hard to put away though and constantly forced Padam Chettri into action to keep their efforts at bay. Despite all of Mohammedan's bravado, the game was firmly being played on Inter Kashi's terms. The Black and White Brigade held on to take the lead at the break.
Inter Kashi sparked to life in the second half of the game, chance after chance being created and squandered away.
Capitalising on a defensive error, Nikum Gyamar played through Tomba Singh just outside the box. The midfielder's low drive bounced off the post.
Gyamar and Mario Barco, in particular, looked constantly on the verge of conjuring something special, only for the ball to be pushed away — once by Mohammedan captain Zodingliana on the goalline and once by Chettris's full body save.
The equaliser did arrive in due course though, in the 83rd minute, via Barco's header from a Jordan Lamela cross on the left.
Real Kashmir thrash Neroca
Players of Real Kashmir FC (in yellow) and NEROCA FC vie for the ball during their I-League 2023-24 football match, in Srinagar, on March 30, 2024. | Photo Credit: PTI
In Srinagar, Real Kashmir FC dished out a fine performance to outclass NEROCA FC 3-0 in the I-League here on Saturday, the result relegating the Manipur outfit to the second division following a poor season.
Goals from Real Kashmir's Gnohere Krizo (35'), Hyder Yousuf (45') and Shaher Shaheen (67') sealed the fate of NEROCA FC in the league.
This loss left the Orange Brigade in 12th place, with a total of 13 points from 21 matches. Their record of four wins, one draw, and 16 losses reflects the challenges they faced throughout the season.
With only three matches left to play, NEROCA find themselves in an insurmountable position, and even if they were to win all their remaining fixtures, they would fall short of overtaking Churchill Brothers, as Namdhari are exempt from relegation this season.
The other team to have been relegated is their city rivals TRAU FC.
Real Kashmir, on the other hand, finally notched up a win after playing out consecutive draws in their last four matches. They also extended their unbeaten streak to nine matches.
The last time the Snow Leopards had lost a match in the league was against Rajasthan United FC back on February 9.
The win took them to second spot in the standings even though they were out of the title race. They now have 40 points from 22 matches with 11 wins, seven draws and four losses.
