25th February, Hyderabad: Sreenidi Deccan Football Club overcame a physical Namdhari FC side 2-0 to record their fourth consecutive win in the I-League here at the Deccan Arena on Sunday. Winger Rilwan Hassan scored one goal in each half to keep the Deccan Warriors hot on the trail of league leaders Mohammedan SC whom they host next.

Head Coach Carlos Vaz Pinto made two changes to the starting lineup, reintroducing Mayakkannan and Rosenberg Gabriel in place of Lalnutluanga and Lalromawia. It was Sreenidi Deccan who took control of possession from the off and in the 18th minute, Rosenberg’s low cross from the right was pounced on by Hassan from close range to break the deadlock. Kean Lewis, deployed at wing-back of late, came close to scoring a second just before half time but his curled effort was wide of the target. Namdhari FC had a chance to equalise but Harmanpreet Singh could only blast his effort above the bar.

The second half followed much of the same pattern as the first as the Deccan Warriors probed for another goal. In the 57th minute, Faysal Shayesteh swung in a corner from the right which was met by Hassan’s bullet header to double his tally and his team’s. Sreenidi Deccan closed down the game after that and Namdhari FC could only muster one more chance as forward Ivan Garrido’s long range strike struck the upright.