Jamshedpur close down the gap with Hyderabad by defeating NorthEast United 3-2
Jamshedpur closed the gap down with league leaders Hyderabad to just one point by beating NorthEast United 3-2 in ‘Match 101’ of the 2021-22 Indian Super League season.
Seimenlen Doungel, Greg Stewart, and Jordan Murray scored for the Red Miners whilst Laldanmawia Ralte and Marcelinho were on target for the Highlanders.
NorthEast United head coach Khalid Jamil made three changes to the team that won 2-1 against Bengaluru. Gurjinder Kumar returned in his left-back position after serving a one-game suspension, with Provat Lakra dropping to the bench. Marco Sahanek also came in for VP Suhair, whilst to maintain overseas count, Patrick Flottmann was sacrificed for Mashoor Shereef.
On the other hand, Jamshedpur head coach Owen Coyle made two changes to the team that won 4-1 against Chennaiyin. Jitendra Singh and Boris Singh Thangjam, both of whom sustained injuries in that game against the Marina Machans, made way for Mobashir Rahman and Doungel respectively.
The game had a pretty sedate start with most of the action taking place in the midfield region. It took 23 minutes for the first major opportunity to arrive, which fell to the Highlanders. Sahanek went for glory from the edge of the box, but his shot was directed straight at the Jamshedpur custodian, TP Rehenesh.
The Red Miners’ first chance came in the 35th minute, and unlike their opposition, they utilized it perfectly to break the deadlock. A cross from the left flank by Mobashir found Doungel completely unmarked at the far post, and the Manipuri winger did well to guide his header past Mirshad Michu in the Highlanders’ goal.
The second half saw Coyle’s team start on the front foot and they could have had a penalty just five minutes after the resumption when Stewart claimed that he was brought down inside the box by Mirshad. Though referee A Rowan was uninterested, it was a controversial decision as replays showed the NorthEast United goalkeeper making contact with the darting Scotsman.
However, Jamshedpur did not have to lament over the decision for long as they doubled their lead in the 59th minute, with Stewart himself finding the back of the net. A chipped ball from the deep found the former Rangers man on the left flank, who did well to first beat his marker Shereef, and then beat Mirshad with an exquisitely executed dinked finish.
That goal saw NorthEast United pulling their socks up, as they miraculously brought the game to level pegging inside only eight minutes. In the 66th minute, Rehenesh made a hash of what should have been a routine save from a Marcelinho shot that was directed straight at him. The rebound fell kindly for Ralte, who made no mistake in tucking the ball home.
Jamil’s men equalized in the very next minute when Pragyan Gogoi found Marcelinho with a defense-splitting pass, and the Brazilian attacker did the rest by brilliantly rounding past Rehenesh and finding the back of the net.
Jordan Murray’s strike helped Jamshedpur pocket all three points
The Highlanders did well to withstand the initial pressure from Coyle’s team but the Red Miners eventually reclaimed the lead in the 84th minute, with Stewart being the chief orchestrator yet again. His clever dinked pass traveled through a sea of red shirts to find substitute Murray in a dangerous position, and the Aussie found the bottom right corner with the daftest of finishes.
Jamshedpur remains in the second position in the standings with this win, but they now are breathing down the neck of Hyderabad. Their next assignment is against the Nizams themselves on Tuesday, whereas the Highlanders will play their last match of the season against fellow strugglers East Bengal on Monday.