An intriguing tactical battle between Jamshedpur FC and NorthEast United FC ended in a goalless draw at the JRD Tata Sports Complex on Saturday. Neither side managed to stamp their authority on a match where chances were few and far between. The point took the Highlanders up to the second spot in the Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) table, while Jamshedpur remained in fourth place.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Jamshedpur head coach Cesar Ferrando expressed his satisfaction with the result and said, "We played against a good team. We missed a lot of passes. We got one point and kept a clean sheet, which was very important. We created very few chances to score."

He also opined that his team needed to put in more in order to win close matches like these. "I think they are a strong team. They played very well. We have to play faster against these teams. We played long and missed a lot of passes. I think we need to be more aggressive against these teams," he stated.

The Spaniard concluded his press conference by identifying the reason behind his side’s inability to register a single shot on target. "When you lose the ball and you miss a lot of passes, it is impossible to create chances to score. We played a lot of long balls and set pieces were very hard to come by. We got one point, but we need to improve," he said.

Ferrando’s opposite number, Eelco Schattorie, too, felt that the draw was a fair reflection of the match and claimed that fatigue might have stopped his players from performing at an optimal level. "We had two games in a row, FC Pune City and Jamshedpur, where we had a lot of problems with travelling and this had a lot of influence on both games. Last game we won, this game we could have won. I think the fatigue was too much to make it a really good game and finish the small chances that we had," he said.

Schattorie also expressed his satisfaction with his team’s defence, which didn't allow Jamshedpur a single shot on target in the match. "I think we played very organized. Jamshedpur did not get one shot on goal. Two or three shots over the net, a few corners, but overall, we were well organized. So, that was a big plus. I don’t think any team has kept a clean sheet against Jamshedpur. They scored against all teams. I think this is the first time that Jamshedpur haven’t scored. So, that was a big plus for us. In the end, we have to be happy with a point looking at the circumstances," he said.

Click here to read the match report.