Srinagar: A second-half strike by Seilenthang Lotjem helped Namdhari Sports Club edge past Real Kashmir FC 1-0 for their first win of the season in the Indian Football League here on Wednesday.
The victory lifted Namdhari SC to sixth in the table with six points from five matches while Real Kashmir remain in ninth in the table with two points from as many games.
Both sides struggled to assert control in midfield during the early exchanges, resulting in frequent turnovers.
The only real moments of concern for either goalkeeper in the half came from isolated efforts. Najib Ibrahim tested Real Kashmir goalkeeper Furkan Ahmad Dar with a low strike from the edge of the box, while at the other end, Niraj Kumar was called into action after Karan Kumar Sharma’s miscued clearance looped goalwards, forcing the goalkeeper into an acrobatic save.
Namdharis took the lead just after the hour mark through Lotjem. Substitute Manbir Singh delivered a cross to the far post, and Lotjem timed his late run into the six-yard box to perfection, slipping in unnoticed before calmly slotting the ball past the goalkeeper.
Real Kashmir stepped up the pressure in search of an equaliser but the visitors held on to their slender lead until the final whistle.
