But Akhil Kothari’s Kenkre have turned their season around in dramatic fashion, with three wins and a draw in their last four games to cut the gap to one single point heading into the final matchday. Aravindraj Rajan’s late goal handed them a 1-0 win over Real Kashmir on Sunday, which was their fourth consecutive clean sheet.

BASEMENT BATTLE SUMMARISED:

Last round fixtures:

Real Kashmir FC vs TRAU FC

Indian Arrows vs Kenkre FC

Importantly, Real Kashmir still have a point advantage over Kenkre, so their fate is in their own hands. A win over TRAU will guarantee that the Snow Leopards avoid finishing at the bottom irrespective of Kenkre’s result. Worryingly for coach David Robertson, Real Kashmir are on the worst-ever winless run in their league history, stretching back to 10 games.

Injuries have been a big cause of concern for Real Kashmir, preventing them from fielding a full strength squad for most of the season. The good news is that captain and top-scorer Mason Robertson is expected to be back for the last game, giving the Snow Leopards’ fans much-needed hope.

If Kenkre beat Indian Arrows, they would finish second from bottom provided Real Kashmir fail to win against TRAU. Crucially, Kenkre hold the head-to-head advantage over Real Kashmir, meaning a draw will be enough for the Mumbai-based club if the Snow Leopards lose.

Should Kenkre pull off this unprecedented comeback, it’d be nothing short of a miracle. Heading into Phase 2 eight points behind safety, barely anyone would have given them a chance. Yet, here they are, with 10 points out of a possible 12 in the Relegation Stage, teaching us an invaluable lesson of ‘it’s never over till it’s over’. Akhil Kothari and his men have given us much more than a fight. A blockbuster final matchday.

All relevant scenarios:

RKFC vs TRAU

ARW vs KEN

RKFC win, KEN win – Kenkre bottom

RKFC draw, KEN win – Real Kashmir bottom

RKFC loss, KEN draw – Real Kashmir bottom

RKFC draw, KEN loss – Kenkre bottom

RKFC loss, KEN loss – Kenkre bottom

RKFC draw, KEN draw – Kenkre bottom