• Brown puts Snow Leopards ahead in first half,
• Castañeda strikes after the break
• Hosts dominate possession but fail to capitalise on late chances
Srinagar| Nov, 7: Real Kashmir FC were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw against Sreenidi Deccan FC in their Indian Football League (IFL) 2026-27 fixture at the TRC Stadium here on Saturday, despite enjoying considerable home advantage and creating several promising scoring opportunities.
The Snow Leopards, who were looking to make a positive start in front of their home supporters, took the lead through Lesotho forward Thabiso Nelson Brown in the 19th minute. However, Colombian striker David Castañeda Muñoz struck seven minutes into the second half to bring Sreenidi Deccan back into the contest and ensure the visitors returned with a valuable point.
The result saw Sreenidi Deccan move to third place in the league standings, while Real Kashmir opened their points account with one point, moving to eighth position, ahead of Samaleswari SC.
Real Kashmir began confidently in their traditional yellow shirts, taking control of the midfield and putting the visiting defence under pressure through NingthoukhongjamRohen Singh, LalawmpuiaSailo (Omoma), Mohit Mittal and Under-22 forward KhullakpamZahir Khan.
The hosts came close to breaking the deadlock in the 10th minute after winning a dangerous free-kick near the edge of the six-yard box. However, Sreenidi’s defensive unit, comprising Pritam Kotal, Gurmukh Singh, Nishu Kumar and Jagdeep Singh, managed to avert the danger.
Sreenidi Deccan responded with a counter-attacking move moments later, when captain David Castañeda broke through the Real Kashmir defence and found himself one-on-one with goalkeeper Susnata Malik. The latter, however, produced an important point-blank save to deny the visitors an early breakthrough.
Real Kashmir eventually made their territorial advantage count in the 19th minute. Omoma delivered an impressive cross into the box, which Trinidad and Tobago striker and captain Marcus Leric Jr Joseph met with a powerful header. Sreenidi goalkeeper Kamaljit Singh managed to block the attempt, but Brown was perfectly positioned to collect the rebound and fire home, registering Real Kashmir’s first goal of the season.
The hosts continued to dictate proceedings thereafter, enjoying greater possession and controlling the midfield exchanges. Sreenidi, with Pronay Halder providing stability in the middle, largely relied on counter-attacks but struggled to penetrate a disciplined Real Kashmir defence marshalled by Cameroonian Alain Eyenga and ShanidValan.
Despite attempting to build momentum towards the end of the first half, the Deccan Warriors could not find an equaliser before the interval.
The visitors returned with greater attacking intent after the break, and their tactical adjustments produced an immediate result. In the 52nd minute, Portuguese playmaker Adriano Duarte Castanheira initiated a promising move with an incisive run before linking up with defender Jagdeep Singh. The latter delivered an accurate cross into the penalty area, allowing Castañeda to rise above the defence and direct a powerful header past Malik to restore parity.
The equaliser shifted the momentum towards Sreenidi, although the tempo gradually slowed as both teams adopted a more cautious approach during the middle phase of the second half.
Real Kashmir, however, regained their attacking rhythm in the closing stages and began pressing for a winner. Their best opportunity to restore the lead came in the 80th minute when Brown connected with a corner-kick delivery, only for Kamaljit Singh to produce an outstanding save, palming the effort away and keeping his side in the game.
The Snow Leopards intensified their search for a winner during the five minutes of stoppage time. Brown created another opportunity, but the hosts could not find the finishing touch as Sreenidi’s defensive line remained organised under sustained pressure.
Both sides continued to push forward in the closing moments, with the goalkeepers also resorting to long deliveries in an attempt to create a late breakthrough. However, neither team managed to alter the scoreline.
Brown was named Man of the Match for his first-half strike, which gave Real Kashmir an early advantage.
