ISL 2020 -- Jamshedpur's late equalizer holds Hyderabad to 1-1 stalemate

Hyderabad FC continued their unbeaten run in Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) 2020-21 after a 1-1 draw with Jamshedpur FC at the Tilak Maidan Stadium in Vasco on Wednesday. Hyderabad created a number of chances but failed to take advantage after Aridane Santana’s opener. Jamshedpur FC’s Stephen Eze scored the equaliser in a game that also saw Hyderabad’s head coach receive a red card in the dying minutes.

Hyderabad FC were the more threatening side in the opening 15 minutes, with Manuel Marquez’s side creating a couple of chances. In the 16th minute, Hyderabad defender Asish Rai’s cross found his teammate Halicharan Narzary but the following cross from Narzary is too close to goalkeeper Pawan Kumar who punches it out.

After a shaky start, Jamshedpur began to get into the game. Defender Laldinliana Renthlei made a surging run into the box in the 24th minute and laid the ball for Jackichand Singh. The shot, however, was brilliantly saved by custodian Laxmikant Kattimani.

On the 41-minute mark, Narzary was at it once again after receiving the ball from Hyderabad striker Santana. Narzary cut in from the left and beat Renthlei to take a shot on goal, which beat the goalkeeper but hit the far post.

Hyderabad continued the onslaught at the beginning of the second half, and made their opponents pay in the 50th minute. Narzary collected the ball after Hitesh Sharma played in a beautiful diagonal cross. The winger’s shot was parried away by Pawan but fell straight onto the feet of Santana who slotted the ball home.

Jamshedpur almost conceded their second goal in the space of five minutes after Liston Colaco craftily side-stepped an opposition defender, creating space for three Hyderabad players. Colaco teed the ball for Asish but the defender could not finish it the first time and Renthlei tracked back to block the shot.

In a bid to get back into the game, Renthlei played the ball forward to find Jamshedpur striker Nerijus Valskis inside the box. The Lithuatian forward however was unable to find the finishing touch with a sliding attempt.

Jamshedpur were denied a goal in the 71st minute when a free-kick by substitute Isaac Vanmalsawma was punched out by Kattimani. The ball hit Santana and crept into the net but the officials disallowed the goal as Peter Hartley was considered to have committed a foul on Kattimani.

Jamshedpur didn’t give up, and in the 85th minute they got the equaliser, with Eze scoring his first goal for the club. Substitute William Lalnunfela laid the ball for the Nigerian, who made a yard of space for himself before blasting the ball into the back of the net.

The club from Jamshedpur created a few more chances towards the end of the match but were unable to take the lead. The encounter ended as a 1-1 draw, with Hyderabad continuing their unbeaten run this season but failing to keep a clean sheet. Jamshedpur, on the other hand, are still yet to win a match under Owen Coyle.

ISL Media Release