I-League: Mohammedan SC, Real Kashmir look to get back to winning ways

The two teams clash at the Kalyani Municipal Stadium on Thursday; former champion Aizawl meets Sreenidhi Deccan in Naihati.

Published : Apr 13, 2022 16:48 IST , Kalyani

Mohammedan Sporting is second in the points table, with 22 points. - AIFF MEDIA
Mohammedan Sporting is second in the points table, with 22 points. - AIFF MEDIA
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Mohammedan Sporting is second in the points table, with 22 points. - AIFF MEDIA

Mohammedan Sporting and Real Kashmir FC will face off in the I-League at the Kalyani Municipal Stadium here on Thursday.

Neither team won their last match and will be keen to return to winning ways. The Black and White Brigade suffered a setback against RoundGlass Punjab while the Snow Leopards squandered a two-goal advantage against Rajasthan United to settle for a solitary point .

Real Kashmir head coach David Robertson said he felt disappointed to concede late goals. “It’s disappointing. We scored two goals but couldn’t hold on to the lead. We are lacking a bit of consistency. There are a few issues but we have to keep going and prepare as well as we can,” he said.

Robertson said he understood the importance of the match for both teams. “They have a very good team, especially the foreign players. We have to be consistent if we want to get positive results. It’s a big game for both of us. Hopefully, we can get a good result,” Robertson concluded.

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Mohammedan Sporting head coach Andrey Chernyshov wants his team to learn from its mistakes and play better in the coming games. “When we started the campaign, people expected us to win matches. It’s football. You can’t win all matches. We made a few mistakes in the first half of the last game. In the second half, we tried to score but we were unlucky,” he said.

Aizawl FC meets Sreenidi Deccan FC

In Naihati, former champion Aizawl FC will take on Sreenidi Deccan FC. Aizawl FC will be hoping to go all out in what is a must-win game for it: only three points will give the former champion any chance of making the top seven. It kept its hopes alive after a solid 2-0 win over NEROCA FC, a win that pleased coach Yan Law.

I-LEAGUE 2021-22 - FULL FIXTURES LIST

“We controlled the game and defended as a unit to keep a clean sheet. If we keep doing that, we’ll continue picking up points.”

Eighteen-year-old Ayush Dev Chhetri scored his second goal of the season and is quickly becoming a key member of the first team.

Sreenidi Deccan is returning to action after nine days and coach Fernando Santiago Varela welcomed the break. Sreenidi’s six-game unbeaten run came to an end against league leader Gokulam Kerala as it went down 2-1.

NEROCA FC takes on Rajasthan United

NEROCA FC will face Rajasthan United FC in a crucial game which could have ramifications on who finishes in the top seven. NEROCA head coach W. Khogen Singh believes his side did not play too badly in a 2-0 defeat to Aizawl in its last outing, but paid the price for failing to utilise most of its chances to score goals.

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