Jamshedpur FC got their 2018-19 Hero Indian Super League (ISL) campaign off to a perfect start by picking up three solid away points at the Mumbai Football Arena with a 2-0 victory over Mumbai City FC on Tuesday.

• Debutant Mario Arques scored a brilliant header in the 28^th minute to give Cesar Ferrando’s men the lead.
• Mumbai had two goals ruled out for offside in the second half.
• Substitute Pablo Morgado sealed the three points for the away side in injury time, finishing off a swift counter-

The match started on a fairly cagey note with tackles flying in at the centre of the park. The hosts created the first real chance when Lucian Goian got on the end of a corner from Paulo Machado. The defender managed to get a good connection on the ball, but his resulting header sailed over the bar.

A few minutes later, Jamshedpur deservedly took the lead through Arques. The Spaniard’s overcooked cross found Carlos Calvo in space down the left flank. With the Mumbai defenders caught off guard, Arques ghosted in at the back post to head home Calvo’s inch-perfect ball.

Despite the lead, Jamshedpur continued piling on the pressure and could have extended their lead on a few occasions, had it not been for Goian’s brilliance at the back. Mumbai failed to assert their dominance in the first 45 minutes, as both the clubs broke for half-time with Jamshedpur enjoying a one-goal cushion.

Within a few minutes of the restart, Tiri had a golden chance to double Jamshedpur’s lead when he was afforded a free-header. However, Goian was on hand yet again and made a brilliant goal-line clearance to ensure the score remained the same.

The Islanders were also awarded a golden chance of their own when Sanju Pradhan delivered a delicious through ball for Rafael Bastos. However, the forward could only get a weak touch on the ball, allowing Subhasish Roy to comfortably save in goal. Jamshedpur’s shot-stopper was at his brilliant best yet again, when he pulled out a stunning stop to deny Modou Sougou, minutes later.

Jorge Costa’s men thought that they had finally levelled things in the 77^th minute when Mohammed Rafique headed the ball home off Raynier Fernandes’ cross. However, the goal was ruled out as the attacker was adjudged to be offside. The story repeated itself a few minutes later, much to Mumbai’s disappointment. A splendid curling free-kick from Machado hit the underside of the crossbar before falling to Sougou, who was on hand to tap the ball home, but the linesman correctly flagged him off for being marginally offside.

With the hosts frantically searching for the equaliser, Jamshedpur made use of the extra space on the counter to seal the tie. Substitute Pablo Morgado finished off a brilliant counter-attacking move to score his maiden Hero ISL goal and Jamshedpur’s second of the night. That proved to be the final nail on the coffin, as Cesar Ferrando’s men began their new season on a fantastic note.

HERO OF THE MATCH

Arques’ goal in the first half gave Jamshedpur the much-needed confidence, as they managed to implement their game plan to the tee and thwart Mumbai on their tracks. While the hosts would have felt hard done by for not getting the equaliser in the second half, a huge chunk of Jamshedpur’s impressive attacking play was due to the creative prowess of Jerry Mawhmingthanga. The youngster displayed his mercurial abilities, with his elegance and conduct on the ball, especially in the second half, ensuring the Islanders were always kept on their toes.

MATCH AWARDS

Club Award – Jamshedpur FC

Swift Limitless Player of the Match – Lucian Goian

DHL Winning Pass of the Match award – Carlos Calvo

ISL Emerging Player of the Match - Jerry Mawhmingthanga

Hero of the Match - Jerry Mawhmingthanga

WHAT’S NEXT? 

Jamshedpur will lock horns with Bengaluru FC for their second fixture of the season on October 7, while Mumbai will hope to register their first win of the new campaign when they take on Kerala Blasters FC on Friday.