NEW DELHI, Feb 2: Sudeva Delhi finally tasted victory in the ongoing edition of the I-League as they beat 10-men Rajasthan United FC 3-2 at the Ambedkar Stadium here on Thursday.
Seilenthang Lotjem (20th minute), Alexis Gomez (26th) and Shavkati Khotam (67th) struck for Sudeva while Atai Dzhumashev (31st) found the target for Rajasthan United after Sukhandeep Singh of Delhi scored an own goal in the 19th minute.
Despite their first win of the season, which came in the 13th round, Sudeva remained rooted at 12th and last place with just five points.
Rajasthan’s central defender Amritpal Singh was sent off after receiving his second yellow card early in the match as he brought down Alexis Gomez on the edge of the penalty box.
However, instead of Sudeva capitalising on the one-man advantage, it was Rajasthan who went 1-0 up in the 19th minute.
It was a lucky break for them as left-winger Atai Dzhumashev cut into the box and hardly had anyone on the other side to cross. So, he went for a hopeful shot, which Sudeva defender Sukhandeep Singh unintentionally sent into his own net.
Seilenthang Lotjem made it 1-1 a minute after Sukhandeep’s own goal. He got a lob from behind inside the Rajasthan box, which Aidar Mambetaliev should have cleared. Lotjem dodged past Rafique and tapped it in with his left foot.
Sudeva’s lead came soon enough in the 26th minute. It was a piece of individual brilliance from Gomez. The Argentine shot at the goal from 25 yards and the ball swung away from a diving Rafique, hit the inside of the post and landed into the net to make it 2-1.
Sukhandeep was responsible for Rajasthan’s second goal too. It happened in the 31st minute, when Dzhumashev outran him from the left and beat goalkeeper Priyant Singh to make it 2-2 in the 31st minute.
Gomez and Khotam combined to make it 3-2 for Sudeva. Gomez got one inside the penalty area with his back to the goal and instead of trying to turn and take a shot himself, he laid it for Khotam on the edge the box. Khotam struck a powerful left-footer to bulge the left corner of the net. (PTI)
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