14th November, Shillong: Sreenidi Deccan Football Club played out an entertaining 2-2 draw with Shillong Lajong in a Matchweek 4 I-League 2023-24 clash here at the SSA stadium on Tuesday. The Deccan Warriors took an early lead through Rosenberg Gabriel but Shillong Lajong overturned it before the break and it was Gabriel’s second which restored parity to the scoreline.

In front of a raucous 3000+ crowd, it was Sreenidi Deccan FC who set the early tone, taking just seven minutes to break the deadlock. Some neat interplay in the final third saw midfielder Ibrahim Sissoko loop a pass over the Shillong Lajong for winger Gabriel to finish with a lob over the goalkeeper and give his side the lead. However, it did not last very long as the home side equalised in the 28th minute. A quickly taken short corner from the right was met with a clinical header by defender Ronney Kharbudon. Six minutes later, Lajong took the lead as Sreenidi Deccan gave away possession cheaply through a throw-in and Japanese winger Takuto Miki punished them with a low finish past Ubaid CK in goal.

The second half saw the Deccan Warriors dominate possession in search of an equaliser and they were duly rewarded in the 67th minute when Gabriel got on the end of Rilwan Hassan’s cross from the left. A few minutes later, Gabriel thought he had his hat-trick as he poked the ball in from close range after Hassan’s shot was saved by Shillong Lajong goalkeeper Neithovilie Chalieu but the referee’s assistant flagged it offside.

Sreenidi Deccan FC will face TRAU FC in their next game which will be played at the Kalyani Stadium in West Bengal on November 19 at 4:30 PM.