JAMSHEDPUR FC GOT THEIR first goal and first win after a scrappy contest with Delhi Dynamos in New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium tonight.
Delhi Dynamos started brightly in the game with Lallianzuala Chhangte making some speedy runs and attracting fouls early on the game, and at one point Kalu Uche headed into the net from a Paulinho Dias free kick but he was offside.
Jamshedpur FC were trying to move up the right flank early on and there was some nervousness in the defence as Delhi put some early pressure on them from the midfield. The visitors constantly tried to play long balls that either tried to clear the ball from the box or sought to circumvent the midfield. DDFC were keeping more of the ball and creating the better chances, but Jamshedpur were still defending well with Subrata Pal pulling off some sharp saves.
Things started to change in the second half when Jamshedpur FC started showing tendencies of moving up the middle. Mehtab Hossain, who had been a disruptive presence all game felling Uche multiple times and unintentionally poking Vinit Rai's nose causing him to bleed heavily, started initiating attacks by trying to split the DDFC defensive midfield down the middle. A more cohesive attacking game followed, with Izu Azuka becoming a more dangerous presence in the final third with every passing minute.
The first big chance came when Pratik Chowdhary fouled Azuka in the box. Andre Bikey stepped up to take the penalty kick but he made a mess of it; Albino Gomes quickly got hold of it.
But despite the penalty howler, Jamshedpur FC didn't have to wait much longer for their first ever goal. Minutes later at the hour mark, Mehtab Hossain's free kick saw Azuka go completely unmarked as he ran up to the incoming ball and headed it in.
Now with the lead, Jamshedpur assumed a good defensive shape for the rest one-third of the game and Delhi Dynamos failed to respond with enough urgency. They did throw many bodies forward towards the end of the match but it almost backfired; Doutie cleared the DDFC defence and would have doubled the lead but for Chichero's desperate tracking of the medio.
In the end, it was a comfortable win for Jamshedpur FC; another first in their history. Now the franchise is on 6 points from 4 games, and without a defeat despite playing 3 away games. Steve Coppell's patient approach to the campaign seems to be paying off, while Delhi Dynamos are now struggling with back to back defeats.