A high-octane top-of-the-table clash between TRAU and Churchill Brothers ended in a 1-1 draw here on Sunday, forcing the I-League title to be decided on the last day of the season.
Luka Majcen’s 28th minute strike was cancelled out by Phalguni Singh’s 43rd minute effort as the teams shared the points.
Although TRAU stay on top of the I-League table, they are level on points (26) with Churchill Brothers.
Churchill, desperate to put behind their woes in the Championship stage of the season that saw them succumb to two back-to-back defeats, started the match on an attacking note.
The Red Machines could have taken the lead as early as the second minute when Luka Majcen was found inside the box off a fine pass. Majcen’s shot from close range, however, failed to find the net, as TRAU survived an early scare.
TRAU were playing catch-up to Churchill Brothers for much of the first half. With Komron Tursunov leaving for international duty for Tajikistan, the Nandakumar-coached side struggled to stitch attacks as Bidyashagar Singh was left isolated up front. In the second half, the Red Machines continued their attacking dominance but were left frustrated in the final third as TRAU committed bodies in defence and defended in numbers.