Defying odds and proving critics wrong, Lone Star Kashmir FC has managed to qualify for the final round of the second Division I-League after holding ARA FC to 1-1 draw at SMVD sports complex, Katra , Jammu on Saturday.
Playing its last match of the group phase on in Jammu, LoneStar either needed a draw to qualify for the final round of the league. Theiropponents, ARA FC on the other hand were in need of an outright win to make itto next round. The match ended in 1-1 draw and but that Lone Star qualified forthe final round of the league and are in now contention to qualify for theI-League.
Despite being reduced to 10-men for most of the match, LoneStar held on to claim a hard fought draw to earn a point that paved their wayinto the next round.
Lone Star got to an excellent start to the match with Hamzagiving them lead in 26th minute. Only minutes later in the 29th minute of game,referee awarded Adeyemi of Lone Star red card. It reduced Lone Star to 10-menand ARA FC took full advantage of that quickly. They were able to score equalizerin the 33rd minute through ParminderSingh. It looked like that Kashmir FC will fail on to hold on and ARA FC may goon to win match. They kept attacking Lone Star from every angle but the hostsheld on. At half time score was 1-1.
In the second half, Lone Star made one change early,strengthen its defense in the absence of one player. The move helped them tothwart the moves made by ARA FC. The visitors tried everything to score thatimportant goal, even went on to make three back to back changes but goal eludedthem. At the end of the allotted time score was 1-1 and Lone Star qualified forthe final round.
Lone Star finished group phase with 11 points while as ARAFC finished with 10 points. By virtue of one point advantage Lone Star made itto final round that I likely top start after April 21.
Lone Star Kashmir FC’s mentor and former internationalfootballer Ishfaq Ahmad termed the qualification of Kashmir FC into final roundas great news for the football fans of the state.
“No one had given this team a chance of qualifying into nextround,. Everyone here in J&K State who call themselves football pundits hadoutrightly rejected any chance of this team making it to next round. Today thisteam has proven all of them wrong. It has again cemented the age old fact thatthere is no substitute to hard work,” said Ishfaq Ahmad.
“I am happy for their qualification as this team played likea team. There was no individual brilliance but total team effort involved. Wehad no big names in our team and it looked hard to make it through. But thebelief of players and support staff made it possible,” he said.
He said that there is big plus from the qualification ofLone Star Kashmir FC as most of the players belonged to J&K State.
“Majority of the players in this team are from J&K andthey have been playing well. This is big news for the football of our State andit will help in the overall development of our J&K football,” he said.