Sreenidi Deccan clinch first win of I-League season; Beat Churchill Brothers 2-1 in Hyderabad

Faysal Shayesteh opened the scoring for the Deccan Warriors with an inch-perfect free-kick in the 23rd minute, while Angel Orelien doubled the lead in the 72nd minute. The visitors managed a late consolation goal in the 91st minute through a volley from Gogou.

Hyderabad: Sreenidi Deccan FC secured their first win of the 2024-25 I-League season with a thrilling 2-1 victory over Goan giants Churchill Brothers FC at the Deccan Arena, Hyderabad on Sunday. The match saw the Hon’ble Governor of Telangana, Jishnu Dev Varma, in attendance, alongside Sreenidhi Educational Group Chairman Dr KT Mahhe and AIFF Executive Committee member Ganapathi Palguna.

Faysal Shayesteh opened the scoring for the Deccan Warriors with an inch-perfect free-kick in the 23rd minute, while Angel Orelien doubled the lead in the 72nd minute. The visitors managed a late consolation goal in the 91st minute through a volley from Gogou.

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Going into the game, head coach Rui Amorim made five changes to his starting eleven, bringing in Faysal Shayesteh, David Castaneda, Ajay Chhetri, Lalchungnunga, and Brandon Vanlalremdika. The visitors took control in the initial minutes of the game, but the Eli Sabia-led defence was at its best to keep the goal intact. The hosts had their first chance in the sixth minute through a corner but couldn’t threaten the opposition’s goal.

In the 22nd minute, Brandon initiated a counter-attack and, after controlling a reverse pass from David, was fouled just outside the opposition box. Captain Faysal stepped up to take the resulting free-kick and found the back of the net with a left-footed curler, giving the hosts a well-deserved lead.

Both teams shared possession in the remaining minutes of the half. When the referee blew the whistle for halftime, Sreenidi Deccan FC led Churchill Brothers FC 1-0. The second half began with both teams displaying attacking intent. The Deccan Warriors aimed to double their lead, while Churchill Brothers pushed for an equaliser. In the 72nd minute, David Castaneda intercepted a misplaced pass and fed the ball to an onrushing Angel Orelien, who calmly slid it past the keeper to make it 2-0.

Churchill Brothers then committed more players forward in search of a goal. Their efforts paid off in the first minute of the eight added minutes at the end of regulation time. Goalkeeper Ubaid CK cleared a corner, but the ball fell perfectly for Gogou, who connected sweetly to find the back of the net. The remaining minutes saw brilliant defending from the hosts, and the game ended 2-1 in favour of Sreenidi Deccan FC, who secured their first three points of the season.