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In an extraordinary end to the clash between Neroca FC and Real Kashmir FC, Surchandra Singh tucked home a late injury-time equalizer to salvage a 3-3 draw for the Snow Leopards in the I-League at the Kalyani Stadium on Tuesday.
The game started out as a frantic end-to-end affair with early chances coming at both ends. Initially, both teams exchanged sparring blows, with either side managing to carve out the opposition defense.
In the 4th minute, Real Kashmir's Mason Robertson had the first clear opportunity of the game after he got on the end of Abhash Thapa's cross. However, his weak header was easily collected by Neroca goalkeeper Subham Dhas.
In the 18th minute, Neroca FC drew first blood through an own goal from the Snow Leopards. The Manipur-based club won a free kick near the opposition half and Sergio Mendigutxia hit the crossbar. Unfortunately for Real Kashmir, defender Ponif Vaz couldn't steer the rebound in the right direction and it ended up in his own net.
Soon after, David Robertson's men suffered another massive blow when Fran Gonzalez suffered an injury and had to be subbed off. The Snow Leopards, though, kept pushing forward.
In the 33rd minute, the Orange Brigade doubled their lead through Mohamad Kdouh. The Lebanese forward rose the highest to head home a delightful delivery from full-back Lallenmang Sitlhou. With a two-goal lead, Neroca FC dictated the tempo of the game until the half-time whistle.
Tiago Adan's heroics paves way for a Real Kashmir FC fightback against Neroca FC
Coming out after the break, Real Kashmir FC upped the ante in the hope of coming away from the game with at least a point. They struck almost immediately. Mason Robertson halved the deficit for Real Kashmir FC when he headed in a free kick from Sena Ralte in the 48th minute.
Minutes later, Robertson had another glorious opportunity but his right-footed shot went just over the bar. The Snow Leopard skipper was made to rue his missed chance in the 58th minute when Sergio Mendigutxia restored the two-goal lead for the Orange Brigade.
In the build-up to the goal, Sweden Fernandes did well to run down the goal line and lay off the ball for the Spaniard, who calmly tucked it home into an open net.
Two goals up, Neroca should have been completely in control of the game. But Real Kashmir FC weren't ready to take the foot off the peddle so soon. In the 80th minute, the Snow Leopards' two Brazilain frontmen combined when Robertson lobbed a through ball for Tiago Adan. However, his volley was just wide.
Seven minutes before the end of the regulation time, it looked like Kashmir had pulled a goal back when Adan headed the ball into the net from a close range. The goal was ruled offside although replays didn't quite confirm the call.
RKFC were still not done and had another bite at the cherry when Adan earned a penalty in the 85th minute after being brought down in the box. The Brazilian slotted the resulting penalty in the bottom right corner.
The goal sent the Snow Leopards bench into a frenzy as they smelt the opportunity to grab a point. And they did it in some fashion. Super-sub Surchandra Singh, in the sixth minute of injury time, headed a Tiago Adan cross into the back of the Neroca FC net to draw the scores level at 3-3.
