Jamshedpur FC inch closer to top of the table finish after resounding 5-1 win over Odisha FC
In-form Jamshedpur FC thumped Odisha FC 5-1 in the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) at the Athletic Stadium in Goa on Friday.
Daniel Chima Chukwu (23′, 26′) fired in two quick goals before Paul Ramfangzauva (45+1′) pulled one back for Odisha at the end of the first half. Jamshedpur FC then pumped in three more goals in the second half through Ritwik Das (54′), Jordan Murray (71′), and Ishan Pandita (87′).
Owen Coyle’s team, who had won their last five matches in the Hero ISL began the game on the front foot. They dominated possession and pinned Odisha FC in their own half with their incessant pressing.
The first chance of the match was created by the Men of Steel in the 10th minute when Chukwu was given the opportunity to cast his side into the lead. However, his bicycle kick went wide.
After this attempt, both sides struggled to create outright chances and pushed for possession of the ball in midfield. It only led to half-hearted attempts from outside the box.
The deadlock was broken by Chukwu seven minutes before the drinks break when Greg Stewart rattled the crossbar with a searing free-kick. The Men of Steel won the first header and Chukwu bundled the ball into the back of the net.
Three minutes later, Coyle’s side managed to make their second chance count when Ramfangzauva displayed poor defending outside the box and gave away the ball to Chukwu. The 30-year-old Nigerian capitalized and slotted the ball past the keeper.
As the game wore on, OFC started to come back into the game and controlled the possession. They reaped benefits of this dominance when Ramfangzauva slotted the ball into the back of the net in the 45th minute.
Jamshedpur FC went into the break with their noses in front but with just a slender lead to protect.
The Men of Steel continued to press in the second half and dominated possession. In the 54th minute, Jamshedpur FC netted another goal when Stewart lobbed in a ball inside the Odisha FC box for Ritwik. The Indian winger did the rest and found the bottom right corner of the goal.
It went from bad to worse for Odisha FC as Jordan Murray scored his third goal of the season. He beat the goalkeeper with a low effort from inside the box to make it 4-1 in the 71st minute.
Odisha FC’s misery continued as Jonathas Cristian picked up his second yellow card of the night in the 74th minute. That red card left Garcia’s team with ten players on the field.
Both coaches introduced fresh legs onto the pitch in the 78th minute. For FC Goa, Ishan Pandita and Sandip Mandi were introduced in place of Ritwik and Len. While for OFC, Sebastian Thangmuansang got replaced by Karan Amin.
Just three minutes before the full-time whistle, substitute Ishan Pandita won the ball from the Odisha FC defenders and produced a powerful strike that sealed three points for his team.
This result means that Jamshedpur FC remains at the top of the points table – three points clear of second-placed ATK Mohun Bagan. Odisha FC, on the other hand, ends their season and find themselves marooned in seventh place.
Owen Coyle’s men will take on ATK Mohun Bagan on Monday in their last league game. With the top spot still up for grabs, Jamshedpur FC would want to make sure that they end their league campaign on a high.