Imphal: Debutants Tiddim Road Athletic Union (TRAU) FC registered their first point of I-League 2019-20 as they played out a 2-2 draw with Real Kashmir FC at the Khuman Lampak Stadium in Imphal, Manipur.
The visitors did well to go into the break with a 1-0 lead over TRAU but the hosts fought back admirably in the second half and even took the lead at one point before parity was restored in the game.
Mason Robertson scored a brace for the visitors while Nigerians Emeka Princewill and Patrick Uche scored one each for TRAU.
Following the draw, Real Kashmir remain at the 9th spot with two points from as many games while TRAU move a place up to 10th with a point in four matches.
TRAU dominated possession in the first half and the combination and movement of Premjit Singh on the right flank and Falguni in the middle was particularly impressive. However, Real Kashmir coach David Robertson's strategy of crowding out his half with trusted defensive-minded players and looking to find his tall forwards with long balls paid dividends as TRAU found it tough to penetrate.
The goal for the visitors also came against the run of play. Before the goal, Kashmir had only two long-range efforts, one from Zambian Aaron Katebe in the 17th minute and another from Robertson, a minute before he found the goal.
In the 27th minute, Robertson dispossessed Sandeep Singh at the heart of the TRAU defence and broke inside the box, keeping his movement away to the right from an onrushing Deepak Devrani, before unleashing a crisp right footer across the goal to beat Mithun Samanta in the goal.
After trailing, TRAU continued to press for an equaliser but could not prize open Phurba Lachenpa's goal till the end of the half.
They did so in the 78th minute of the second half, when a measured cross from left-wing back Denechandram Meetei, saw Emeka meet it with a bouncing header, beating Lachenpa.
Fellow Nigerian Patrick Uche then beat him for the second time in the 82nd minute, this time from a free-kick which got an unfortunate deflection from Robertson, wrong-footing the keeper.
Robertson, however, ensured that the hosts did not enjoy their lead for more than a minute. From another wonderful cross by Danish Farooq from the left, Robertson rose perfectly to lob a header over Mithun to restore parity.
TRAU FC next host Punjab FC on January 4 in the 2PM kick-off while Real Kashmir FC next play Chennai City FC at home on December 26 at 2PM.
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