I-League 2024-25: SC Bengaluru and Namdhari FC Conclude the Year with a Stalemate
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Bengaluru, Dec 20 (NationPress) SC Bengaluru and Namdhari FC concluded the match with a goalless draw at the Bangalore Football Stadium in Round 6 of the I-League 2024-25. The drawn match kept SC Bengaluru at the bottom of the league table, while Namdhari, in their inaugural away game, celebrated their second consecutive clean sheet of the season.
Despite the disparity in their league standings, the home team displayed dominance from the outset. Although they had netted more goals than Namdhari up until this point, their finishing was lackluster, which is becoming a disturbing trend for the season.
In the opening half, the best opportunity fell to Thomyo Shimray in the 11th minute due to a blunder by goalkeeper Jaspreet Singh. The Namdhari keeper mishandled a simple cross in the six-yard box, allowing Shimray, who had fought hard for the ball, to shoot high.
Namdhari did not remain completely outplayed, as they consistently posed a threat through long balls and counter-attacks. In the 33rd minute, Akashdeep Singh missed a header from a corner, going wide when he was unmarked, which was a missed opportunity.
The second half continued in the same vein, with SC Bengaluru adeptly bypassing the Namdhari midfield but struggling against their defense and their own hesitance near the goal. The wingers frequently delivered quality crosses into the box, yet no one could convert these into scoring chances.
Bengaluru's missed opportunities gave Namdhari a glimmer of hope for securing points, as they created the best chances in the latter half. Manvir Singh forced two exceptional saves from Bishal Lama to keep the match level. The first was a half-chance where the forward volleyed a sharp-angled shot from inside the box, prompting Lama to dive and deflect it.
The second chance came in injury time when a free-kick from the left found Manvir at the far post, just five yards from goal. Attempting to lob the keeper, he was thwarted as Lama blocked the shot. This was the final significant opportunity for either team to secure victory, and Namdhari was ultimately denied. The match ended in a draw.
