Jamshedpur FC climbed two spots in the 2020-21 Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) standings after a 1-0 win over Odisha FC at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim on Monday. Mohammad Mobashir scored the only goal of the game for Jamshedpur in the 41st minute.

  • Mohammad Mobashir gave Jamshedpur the lead in the first half.
  • Farukh Choudhary hit the woodwork and came closest to scoring in the second half.

Jamshedpur had the first opportunity of the game in the 6th minute when Seiminlen Doungel won possession near Odisha’s penalty area before entering the box with it and getting a shot away that required the goalkeeper’s intervention. Nerijus Valskis was the next Jamshedpur player to test Arshdeep Singh in goal 10 minutes later after cutting in from the right and forcing the Odisha custodian into a save.

At the other end, Jamshedpur’s shot-stopper TP Rehenesh was having a fairly quiet game up until the 24th minute when he first punched a dangerous cross to safety and then was involved in a chaotic goal-mouth scramble that was eventually cleared for a corner. One of the biggest chances of the first half though came in the 33rd minute after a Doungel cutback from the right was perfectly weighed for Farukh Choudhary, who blazed his attempt over the crossbar.

Owen Coyle’s men were finally rewarded for their persistence in the 41st minute after a Mobashir cross led to a goal. The Indian midfielder was looking to find Valskis with his cross from deep, but it ended up going straight into the back of the net instead after both the Lithuanian and Arshdeep failed to get a touch on the ball. Jamshedpur maintained the pressure on Odisha after going in front and went in for the halftime break with a deserved 1-0 lead.

Like in the opening period, Doungel registered Jamshedpur’s first chance of the second with a shot from outside the box on this occasion. Alexandre Lima also tried his luck from range a few minutes later but once again Arshdeep was up to the task. Jamshedpur, in fact, were the dominant outfit after the break as Odisha struggled to find a way back into the contest.

Stuart Baxter’s men eventually got going with around about 20 minutes of regulation time to play. After Diego Mauricio saw his shot from a cross off the right blocked, the Brazilian went on to play Paul Ramfangzauva in on goal only for the 21-year-old Indian to drag his attempt wide of the target.

Jamshedpur then had a chance to put the game to bed in the 72nd minute when a cross from the right found Farukh in the box and just when it looked like he would score, Arshdeep came off his line to make another heroic save for Odisha.

The Bhubaneswar-based club continued to fight for a way back into the game, but their attacks seemed to break down every time they got near Jamshedpur’s box. The better chances continued to fall Jamshedpur’s way and they missed another good opportunity through Farukh after he dragged an effort from inside the box on the left wide of the target.

Rakesh Pradhan tested Rehenesh courtesy a freekick in the 89th minute but apart from that the Jamshedpur goalkeeper didn’t have much to do in the closing stages. Farukh also hit the woodwork in stoppage time, however, it didn’t matter much as Jamshedpur saw out the five minutes of stoppage time comfortably to secure the three points.

Hero of the Match – Seiminlen Doungel

Seiminlen Doungel was a lively presence on the pitch and tormented Odisha’s defenders from start to finish. Besides setting up a few good chances for his teammates with his pin-point crosses, Doungel also tested the goalkeeper with shots in both halves. Defensively, he contributed two blocks, two clearances and four successful tackles.

Other Match Awards

Club Award – Jamshedpur FC

DHL Winning Pass of the Match – Seiminlen Doungel

Watch the Match Highlights here: