Srinagar, Feb 11 (PTI) Hosts Real Kashmir and NEROCA of Manipur played out a 2-2 draw in their I-League match at the TRC Stadium here on Saturday.

The fast-paced contest started the way the home crowd would have liked as Real Kashmir defender Richard Agyemang scored for the third time in two matches. He headed in a cross from Lalnuntluanga Bawitlung to make it 1-0 in the 10th minute.

Conceding a goal so early in the match, there was a danger for NEROCA to be outplayed. But Wangkhem Khogen Singh’s men took only a couple of minutes to storm back into the contest.

Sweden Fernandes got a defence-piercing lob into the box and Akashdeep Singh could not find a way to stop him from shooting at the goal without bringing him down. Referee Surojit Das did not hesitate to award the penalty.

Jamaican forward Jourdain Fletcher’s left-footer sent experienced Real Kashmir goalie Subhasish Roy Chowdhury the other way and parity was restored.

NEROCA could have gone ahead in the 38th minute. Sweden’s through ball found Bayi Kamo inside the box but Roy Chowdhury used all his experience to narrow down the angle for the forward and stopped his shot.

But Roy Chowdhury could not do much in the 70th minute, when Agyemang unintentionally deflected Mirjalol Kasimov’s corner from the left flank into his own net.

Coach Gifton Noel-Williams quickly replaced Agyemang with Balwinder Singh and sent in Ernest Boateng to bolster attack. Those changes did make a difference to the intensity of Real Kashmir, but the equaliser was just not coming. NEROCA goalkeeper Soram Porei came to the rescue a couple of times.

But late into stoppage time, the NEROCA defence cracked under pressure. Akashdeep’s long cross from the left wing was erroneously headed down to an unmarked Lalnuntluanga Bawitlung by NEROCA’s Nonganba Singh. The Real Kashmir man made it 2-2 with a scorching right-footer.

Source: PTI News