Title contenders Real Kashmir FC tasted their first defeat when they went down to 10-man Namdhari FC by a solitary goal in Ludhiana on Sunday.
This was Srinagar team's first match away from home in the I-League 2024-25 season.
While Namdhari earned their second consecutive win and have seven points after round five, Real Kashmir have eight.
Namdhari have now moved to fifth place in the points table and are breathing down Real Kashmir's neck, who are currently placed fourth.
Namdhari's Brazilian striker Cledson Dasilva Degol scored the only goal of the match in the 15th minute. Yet, the skillful player's day didn't end on a happy note as he received the marching orders in the 60th minute for a rather serious tackle-from-behind foul in the middle.
Real Kashmir failed to take the numerical advantage despite having total control over proceedings.
Namdhari lived a charmed life, surviving innumerable close calls, but took home full points after the 97-minute extended battle.
Namdhari displayed enough attacking prowess initially, and opened up the Real Kashmir defence on at least four occasions.
From one such move in the 15th minute, Degol, always in the thick of things, sent a low and angular header home after the move was initiated from the left. This was the Brazilian's fourth goal of the season.
Real Kashmir were in real shock. They took time to take stock of the situation and began the second half in a whirlwind fashion. They stormed the rival goal but failed when it was needed most.
If Lalramdinsanga Ralte miss-kicked in front of the goal, then the next moment Ghanaian Kamal Issah failed to keep his shot on target despite having the frame clear in front of him.
Soon enough the Namdhari goalkeeper Jaspreet Singh would be beaten, only to find defender and captain Akashdeep Singh coming to the rescue with a goalline clearance. The Namdhari penalty box was the most crowded area in the stadium, but Real Kashmir attackers could never make the ball cross the Namdhari goalline.
