Real Kashmir registers fascinating victory against Rajasthan United

On By Pranco

Real Kashmir was dominant in the I-League match from the start.

Real Kashmir they started I League Season 2024-25 over with a 2-0 win Rajasthan United FC at the TRC Ground, on Sunday, November 24, 2024. Both goals came in the first half.

Mohammad Inam (11′) and Senegal recruit Elhadi Abdou Karim Samb (28′) scored the two goals for the Snow Leopards, who finished fifth in the I-League last season.

Real Kashmir had a dream start to the season as the crafty Inam was played through on the left by Samb. The winger delivered a hard, low cross that required a deflection before diving into the goal, completely wrong-footing the goalkeeper.

With the advantage in sight, Real Kashmir looked to sit back and take advantage of any mistakes from Rajasthan. Samb found some space when played behind the Rajasthan defense but was bundled just outside the box. Although the home side were unable to capitalize on the resulting free kick, they soon had other opportunities.

Samb was the biggest beneficiary of this plot in the 28th minute when he intercepted a back pass from Rajasthan defender Wayne Vaz and poked it past goalkeeper James Kithan to double the home side’s advantage.

With a two-goal cushion in hand, Real Kashmir slowed down the pace of the match and opted to remain patient until the end of the first half. Once they came out after the break, even though the home team was back with the opponent.

They relied heavily on their wingers to stretch the play and bombard the Rajasthan box with crosses, a ploy that did cause the latter some problems. Samb could have scored a hat-trick with sharp crosses from the left.

Mohd. Aqib’s low, hard cross from the left flank went straight to Samb, who had crept into space at the near post. He just had to beat goalkeeper Kithan, but he did well to cover the corner and get a hand on the shot.

Real Kashmir were in complete control of the match during this period and captain Kamal Issah could have added another after playing behind the defense with only the goalkeeper to beat. However, Issah’s attempt ended up in the galleries.

Samb got his third chance in the 79th when a deep cross came in from the left. However, the unmarked striker missed his header, which did not have the necessary power to cause Kithan problems.

Inam has been a constant thorn in the flesh of Rajasthan – especially their right side. His frequent changes of pace and guile allowed Real Kashmir to make several forays into the opposition territory, especially on the counter.

Although Rajasthan showed some intent in the final minutes, the hosts found themselves in too comfortable a position to loosen their grip on the match as Real Kashmir registered their first win of the 2024-25 I-League season.

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