ISL 2017: Jamshedpur FC edged past Bengaluru 1-0

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Internet Desk: Bengaluru FC were guilty of wasting more than a few chances and were punished when Matheus Trindade handed visitors Jamshedpur FC all three points with an injury time penalty at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru, on Thursday.

With the Blues dominating all aspects of the game, a mistake late on from defender Rahul Bheke allowed the visitors, who sat back for majority of the 90 minutes, to grab their second win of the campaign.

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Going into their third game in eight days, Coach Albert Roca made three changes to the line-up as Erik Paartalu, Subhasish Bose and Udanta Singh returned to the fold with Toni Dovale and Nishu Kumar relegated to the bench.

The game began cautiously from both ends before the first real opportunity fell for skipper Sunil Chhetri who had the chance to nod home Bengaluru’s opener in the 35th minute when he squeezed between two defenders to meet Subhasish’s cross. But the attempt was feeble and wide, and the captain was left clutching his head in anguish.

Jamshedpur defended stubbornly and with numbers to see the half through without conceding and Roca’s frustration from the bench was evident as his side couldn’t make their domination count.

Jamshedpur, content to sit behind throughout the first half, had a window of good attacking play ten minutes into the second. Kervens Belfort, within stabbing distance from goal, struggled to control Mawihmingthanga’s cross from the right. The Mizo winger then squandered a chance of his own in the 61st minute when he dragged his shot just wide, beyond the reach of Gurpreet Singh Sandhu.

Sensing Jamshedpur’s intent, Bengaluru were quick to peg them back with a flurry of attacks. Chasing a ball down the left, Miku did well to meet it and float in a fantastic cross that Dimas Delgado met with an acrobatic volley only to see it fly over in the 71st minute.

Chhetri then spurned the chance of the game in the 77th minute, shooting straight at Subrata Paul after being slid into a one-on-one situation by Harmanjot Khabra. Roca rang in a double change in the 84th minute, throwing in Nishu Kumar and Braulio Nobrega for Juanan Gonzalez and Khabra in a bid to snatch a goal they had been chasing all evening.

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Jamshedpur were clutching on straws for the last ten minutes and Jose Luis Espinosa kept them alive with a desperate clearance in the 86th minute. Chipped over by Toni Dovale, Nishu’s cross for Miku inside the box was intercepted by Espinosa and the Blues were left to rue the missed opportunity.

With the game seemingly inching towards a goalless draw, an attack against the run of play saw Bheke bring down substitute Sameehg Doutie prompting referee R. Srikrishna to point to the spot. While the defender made minor contact outside the box, Doutie lost his footing and went down along with Bheke inside the box to earn the penalty.

Matheus Trindade then stepped up and beat Gurpreet Singh in the BFC goal to break the deadlock in the first minute of injury time. The Blues tried their best to penetrate the rival defense in the remaining three minutes but with Jamshedpur FC putting bodies back, they managed to hold on to their slender lead and seal a 1-0 win.