Churchill Brothers 1 (Pape Gassama 29′)
drew with
Sreenidi Deccan 1 (David Castañeda Muñoz 90+11′ p)

AIFF Media Team

RAIA, GOA: Churchill Brothers’ march towards the 2024–25 I-League title hit a bit of a roadblock as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Sreenidi Deccan FC at the Raia Ground on Sunday, March 23, 2025.

Despite leading for the majority of the match through a first-half goal from Pape Gassama, the Goan side were denied all three points when David Castañeda Muñoz converted a last-gasp penalty in stoppage time for the visitors.

The draw will sting Churchill Brothers, who were on the cusp of consolidating their position at the summit. With 38 points from 20 matches (11 wins, 5 draws, 4 losses), they remain top of the table, but the draw has now left the door ajar for Inter Kashi, Real Kashmir, and Gokulam Kerala to close the gap in the title race.

Sreenidi Deccan, meanwhile, once again played the role of party-poopers. After frustrating Inter Kashi in their last outing, they repeated the trick against the league leaders as well. The Deccan Warriors are now sixth in the table with 27 points from 20 matches.

On a hot and humid afternoon in Goa, Churchill Brothers started brightly and looked intent on building on their four-match unbeaten run. They carried their early momentum into the game and took the lead in the 29th minute, thanks to a moment of quality from Gassama. After receiving the ball at the edge of the area, the Senegalese midfielder chipped it delicately over goalkeeper Aryan Lamba, giving the home crowd reason to believe the three points were in the bag.

The Red Machines controlled the tempo for most of the match, with Stendly Fernandes providing width and service from the flanks. However, their failure to convert chances would ultimately cost them. Wayde Lekay and Rafiq Aminu, usually reliable finishers, were uncharacteristically wasteful in front of goal.

Aminu had the best chance to wrap up the game in stoppage time, when Lekay intercepted a poor clearance and unselfishly laid the ball off to his teammate. But with only the keeper to beat and a clear shot on goal, the Ghanaian forward blazed his effort over the bar.

Sreenidi Deccan, who had spent much of the match chasing the game, saw a glimmer of hope when Lalliansanga Renthlei was adjudged to have committed a dangerous foul on Lalromawia inside the box in the final minute of added time. The referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.

Muñoz, already the league’s top scorer, stepped up and calmly slotted home his 13th goal of the campaign, snatching a point from the jaws of defeat and silencing the home support.