Manjeri (Kerala), March 14 A second-half goal by Fabrice Kah ensured Sreenidi Deccan FC defeated Gokulam Kerala FC 1-0 in the Indian Football League here on Saturday.
Sreenidi Deccan provisionally climbed to the top of the table with six points from three matches while Gokulam Kerala dropped to 10th with two points from three matches.
The first half saw both sides vying for possession in midfield, with neither able to create clear openings for their attackers. It was a tightly-contested period in which both teams maintained strong defensive organisation, leaving chances from open play at a premium.
Set-pieces provided the best opportunities for either side to break the deadlock. David Castañeda and Hadi Idrissou both missed free headers from corner kicks for the visitors, while the Malabarians also came closest to scoring from similar situations.
The visitors began the second half on the front foot, showing greater intent in the attacking third, and broke the deadlock nine minutes after the restart.
Castañeda received the ball on the edge of the box but was held up by Amid Arezou, who was blocking his path. The Colombian managed to roll the ball across the six-yard box, catching the defenders off guard, and Fabrice Kah reacted quickest to bundle it into the back of the net.
Abhijith K could have doubled the lead moments later, but the former Gokulam player scuffed his left-footed effort from inside the box after being played into space by Lalromawia.
Substitute Brandon Vanlalremdika had earlier produced a clever dummy to create the opening for him.
At the other end, the Malabarians found it difficult to break down the Sreenidi defence, and Kamaljit remained largely untroubled in goal as the home side struggled to create clear opportunities with time running out.
In the end, Sreenidi Deccan held on to their slender lead to secure their second win of the season.