ISL: Debutants Inter Kashi hold Super Cup champions FC Goa to earn first point

Despite enjoying the lion's share of possession and creating the clearer chances, FC Goa could only muster a draw, as Inter Kashi took the lead through Prasanth Karuthadathkuni (45+2'), before Dejan Drazic converted the equalising penalty (84'). Inter Kashi goalkeeper Lluis Tarres was shown the red card for a last-man tackle on Muhammed Nemil inside the box. Drazic was named the Player of the Match.

The contest began at an energetic tempo. Alfred Planas tested FC Goa's keeper early, while Brison Fernandes forced a sharp save from Kashi's keeper. Inter Kashi looked threatening from set-pieces, with Rohit Danu's effort saved and Narender Gahlot's follow-up blocked inside the six-yard area.

FC Goa gradually asserted control, moving the ball with patience and probing through the flanks. FC Goa's Nemil came close in the thirty-fourth minute, his left-footed strike from inside the box tipped over impressively by Tarres as FC Goa increased pressure.

However, just as the first half appeared destined to end goalless, Inter Kashi struck in the additional minutes. Prasanth Karuthadathkuni made a perfectly-timed run before applying a composed left-footed finish into the bottom right corner after being set up by Tomba Singh. The goal, arriving on the brink of halftime, stunned the home side.

FC Goa returned with renewed urgency in the second half and pushed higher up the pitch and began to stretch the Inter Kashi backline. Udanta Singh tried his luck from distance near the hour mark, while Nemil and Brison Fernandes continued to look for openings. Sandesh Jhingan's header drifted wide and Drazic missed narrowly as the pressure mounted on the debutants. However, Tarres remained active in between the sticks, saving Drazic's angled effort at the seventy-five-minute mark to preserve the lead.

The turning point came in the 80th minute when Nemil drew a foul inside the penalty area, earning FC Goa a penalty. In the sequence to the foul, Inter Kashi goalkeeper Lluis Tarres was shown a red card, reducing the visitors to ten men. Substitute goalkeeper Shubham Dhas was brought on immediately by Inter Kashi. Drazic stepped up and calmly dispatched the penalty into the bottom left corner to equal the score at 1-1.

Having the numerical advantage in the last 10 minutes, FC Goa intensified their search for a winner. Pol Moreno's close-range header was kept out by Dhas in the additional minute, and Raynier Fernandes headed over as FC Goa threw everything forward in the closing moments. Inter Kashi, however, remained compact and resolute, defending with collective discipline to secure a valuable first point in their ISL debut. (ANI)