I-League 2023-24: Sreenidi Deccan dominate NEROCA

Captain Castaneda scored a brace for Sreenidi Deccan

David Castaneda Munoz led from the front as Sreenidi Deccan FC thrashed Neroca FC 4-0 at the Deccan Arena in Hyderabad on Sunday, October 29, 2023. The emphatic victory signalled a dominant start to the Deccan Warriors’ 2023-24 I-League campaign. While the Deccan FC captain Castaneda scored a brace, Lalromawia and R Lalbiakliana scored the other two goals.

It was a Deccan show right from the outset. They controlled the game and had the lion’s share of possession. The fact that Deccan had 24 shots at goal showed how dominant they were throughout the game. While Neroca goalkeeper Soram Poirei Meitei was busy fending off a barrage of Deccan attacks, his teammates struggled to muster any significant threat at the other end.

Deccan created the first chance of the game in the 20th minute. Faysal Shayesteh curled in a free-kick from 20 yards but Soram Poirei Meitei made a diving save to parry the ball away. Two minutes later, Neroca’s defensive error breathed life into Deccan’s attacking prowess. Neroca defender Balwinder Singh slipped in an attempt to clear a low cross from Shayesteh and it allowed Munoz at the far post to tap the ball home effortlessly for Deccan’s first goal.

Any hopes for a Neroca comeback were promptly squashed in the 57th minute. Neroca FC were caught in possession and Deccan quickly unlocked their opponent’s defence with surgical precision, leading to Lalromawia calmly slotting the ball past a helpless Soram Poirei Meitei for Deccan’s second goal.

The game was effectively put to bed in the 85th minute when Munoz netted his second of the night. Awarded a penalty following Safiul Rahaman’s clumsy challenge on R Lalbiakliana, Munoz coolly sent Meitei the wrong way to make it 3-0.

Sreenidi Deccan added a fourth in the dying minutes of the game. Neroca were caught in possession once again before Lalbiakliana snatched the ball away and made a solo run. He bamboozled the Neroca defence and goalkeeper Soram Poirei Meitei with his tricks and turns before finding the back of the net and sealing an impressive win for his side.