Kenkre FC keep I-League hopes alive with 1-1 draw against Delhi FC

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], October 20 (ANI): Delhi FC and Kenkre FC garnered one point apiece following the 1-1 draw at the Bangalore Football Stadium on Wednesday. Following the result, Kenkre rose to the top of the table with 4 points from 2 games while Delhi FC opened their account having played as many games.
Two second-half goals from Kiran Pandhare and Sergio Barboza helped Kenkre FC and Delhi FC respectively get on the score sheet. Delhi FC in order to obtain all three points from the contest started with winger Himanshu Jangra playing upfront. Kenkre FC, on the other hand, started with their regular line-up.
The first half finished with Delhi FC dominating possession and leading in the goal attempts statistic comfortably, but the all-important breakthrough was yet to arrive for either side.
Four minutes to the hour-mark, Dead-ball specialist Arvind Rajan flighted in a cross towards the far post which was converted by midfielder Kiran Pandhare who was left unmarked.
All of Delhi FC's progressive play at this point in the second half came from the left flank with Nikhil Mali at the heart of the action. Delhi FC came agonisingly close to scoring in the 72nd minute after some good build-up play down the left flank again before Gagandeep Bali's shot on the turn was cleared off the line by Arvind Rajan.
Delhi FC were handed a lifeline in the 78th minute as they were awarded a penalty for handball inside the box by Kenkre FC defender Zacharie Mbenda, whose outstretched arm blocked Sergio Barboza's goalbound effort. The Brazilian stepped up to take the spot-kick and made no mistake to slot the ball past Tenzin after a stuttered run-up.
As Delhi FC committed more players in the attack to score the winner, Kenkre FC exploited the vacated space to repeatedly break on the counterattack. Substitute Yash Mhatre could have put the game to bed for his side on a couple of occasions, including an audacious effort from behind the halfway line which was saved with some difficulty by Delhi FC goalkeeper Suraj Mallick. On the other side, Delhi FC came close to going ahead from a catastrophic own goal by Zacharie Mbenda, who made amends for the initial mix-up by clearing the ball off the line.
Kenkre FC will take on Rajasthan United on the final match day on Saturday besides Delhi FC who will challenge Madan Maharaj FC on the same day. (ANI)