Sreenidi Deccan FC beat Diamond Harbour FC 2-1

Sreenidi Deccan FC defeated Diamond Harbour FC 2-1 in the Indian Football League Championship Stage at Kalyani Stadium, Kolkata. Goals from Brandon Vanlalremdika and David Castaneda sealed victory, while Hugo Diaz scored for the hosts from a penalty

Hyderabad: Sreenidi Deccan FC defeated table-toppers Diamond Harbour FC 2-1 to close the gap at the top of the table in the Championship Stage of the Indian Football League at the Kalyani Stadium in Kolkata on Sunday.

Brandon Vanlalremdika scored the opening goal in the 44th minute, while David Castaneda added a second in first-half stoppage time. Hugo Diaz scored the only goal for the hosts in the 62nd minute from the penalty spot.

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Head Coach Carlos Vaz Pinto made two changes to his starting eleven from the previous win, with Deepak DP replacing Muhammad Hammad in defence and Abhijith K coming in for Lalthankhuma in midfield. The referee was called into action as early as the first minute, as a harsh foul on Ajay Chhetri resulted in Diamond Harbour’s Afolabi being sent off.

With the hosts reduced to 10 men, the Deccan Warriors began to press high and created several chances through crosses and corners. However, it took until the 44th minute for the visitors to find the breakthrough. Brandon Vanlalremdika was brought down just outside the box on the left, and the Mizo Magician stepped up to curl a stunning free-kick into the top corner to break the deadlock.

The referee added four minutes of stoppage time at the end of the first half, and just before the whistle, David Castaneda fired in from the edge of the box to double the lead.

The Deccan Warriors began the second half in a similar attacking fashion, pushing for a third goal. However, it was the hosts who pulled one back in the 62nd minute from the penalty spot. Despite late pressure from Diamond Harbour FC in search of an equaliser, the Kamaljit Singh-led defence held firm to secure another three points on the road.

Sreenidi Deccan FC will now host Shillong Lajong FC at the Deccan Arena on May 10.