Jamshedpur FC interim head coach Scott Copper expressed his disappointment after his team suffered a late defeat to NorthEast United FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) on Thursday. The match, held at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati, took a dramatic turn as Jamshedpur FC conceded two goals in injury time, resulting in their second defeat of the season.

Jamshedpur FC had started the game on a positive note, with Daniel Chima scoring the opening goal in the first half. Cooper's side, however, struggled to create many scoring opportunities but remained resolute and compact in defence until injury time where they conceded two goals late in the game, courtesy of Michel Zabaco and Ibson Melo. Reflecting on the outcome, Cooper believed that his team should have secured a second goal to seal the victory and was disheartened by the late defensive lapses.

“We should have killed the game with the second goal. That would have been easier. And when it gets to that moment (injury time), it’s always going to be those late scrambles. Both goals came from our left channel, NorthEast United FC’s right channel. But we all know NorthEast United FC’s threats are down the left which we stopped quite often. It’s a hard one to take. I'm disappointed with some players that didn't defend well,” he said in the post-match press conference. 

On the other side, NorthEast United FC extended their unbeaten streak to four games after an initial defeat to Mumbai City FC. Missing forward Nestor Albiach due to illness, they faced difficulties breaking down the solid Jamshedpur FC defence. Nevertheless, they managed to mount a late comeback with two goals. Cooper praised NorthEast United FC's resilience and credited their players and head coach, Juan Pedro Benali.

“NorthEast United FC were very fortunate to have seven minutes of extra time to turn that result around. But congratulations to them. Make no mistakes about it, they've got a good coach. They got willing players. They didn’t stop trying till the end. You got to give the players credit. They fought right till the end. A lot of players at that moment would have given up. A lot of teams would have given up, thinking 93 minutes, it’s gone. You got to give NorthEast United FC credit because they didnt stop (trying). And the credit goes to the coach,” Cooper said.

Jamshedpur FC have struggled to find the back of the net, having scored just two goals in their five games this season. Despite their strong defensive performances, the lack of goals has cost them valuable points. Cooper expressed concerns about their goal-scoring struggles and urged his attackers to step up and deliver.

“Tonight we didn't create many chances, which is the first time we didn't create many chances. I can't say we’re missing chances because tonight we didn't create chances. We sat a little too deep and didn't take care of it. It is a concern (the lack of goals). The goals have got to come from somewhere. We can't keep (holding teams) 1-0, 0-0. Defensively, we are strong but we do need goals. So we need goals. Someone’s got to step up. We’ve got players who have goals all over their CV so they need to do it,” he explained.