LUDHIANA (Interstat) — Visiting Sreenidi Deccan defeated host Rajasthan United FC 1-0 on Sunday at Namdhari Stadium in Ludhiana, using Nishu Kumar’s 66th-minute goal to settle the match. Sreenidi Deccan scored once and kept Rajasthan United FC off the scoreboard. The result moved Sreenidi Deccan to 1-0 in this competition and 1-1 across all competitions. Rajasthan United FC dropped to 0-1 in the competition and 0-1 across all competitions. The match was a tight, low-scoring affair decided by a single second-half strike.

The first half ended without a goal, and the teams remained level well into the second half. Sreenidi Deccan’s Halder P. received a yellow card in the 53rd minute. Singh J. was booked in the 56th minute, and Vitinho received a yellow card in the 61st minute. Sreenidi Deccan broke through five minutes later when Kumar scored in the 66th minute. The goal gave the visitors the only lead they needed. Rajasthan United FC tried to respond after conceding, but the home side could not find an equalizer.

Substitutions began in the 58th minute with Sreenidi Deccan’s Kurungodan A. Rajasthan United FC’s Trawally F. followed in the 63rd minute. Rajasthan made two more changes in the 74th minute through Giri B. and Shimray T. Sreenidi Deccan’s Mawihmingthanga J. was substituted in the 77th minute. Rajasthan United FC’s Lalfelkima L. was substituted in the 90th minute. Sreenidi Deccan made substitutions involving Castaneda D. and Singh J. in the 90+3rd minute. The late changes gave both sides fresh options as the match moved toward its conclusion. Both teams made four substitutions over the course of the second half.

Kumar played the full 90 minutes and recorded one goal, the key contribution in a match with little scoring. Sreenidi Deccan protected its advantage through the closing stages and limited Rajasthan United FC’s chances to pull level. The visiting side’s defense held after the goal, and Sreenidi Deccan closed out the win at Namdhari Stadium. The victory gave Sreenidi Deccan a positive result in the competition and improved its overall record to one win and one loss this season. The one-goal margin held through the final minutes.

Sreenidi Deccan had lost its previous match this season to North East United 3-0. The result against Rajasthan United FC gave Sreenidi Deccan a response after that defeat. Rajasthan United FC remained without a win across all competitions after the loss. The home side’s late substitutions gave it fresh energy, but Rajasthan United FC could not break through against a Sreenidi Deccan side that defended its one-goal margin. The final whistle confirmed the visitors’ win and the home side’s defeat. Sreenidi Deccan’s record in this competition is now one win and no losses. Rajasthan United FC is now 0-1 in the competition.

The game’s disciplinary record featured three yellow cards, all for Sreenidi Deccan. Halder P. was cautioned first, followed by Singh J. and then Vitinho. The bookings came before Kumar’s goal and did not prevent Sreenidi Deccan from taking the lead. Rajasthan United FC, meanwhile, could not convert its late pressure into a goal. Sreenidi Deccan’s clean sheet and Kumar’s finish proved enough to decide the contest. The result left the visitors with a winning record in the competition and the home side still seeking its first win.

Before the match, Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Rajasthan United FC 2, Sreenidi Deccan 1. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Rajasthan United FC with a 53.9 percent probability to win. Sreenidi Deccan had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -0.5. The total score of 1 went over the over/under line of 2.5.