Coyle questions disallowed goal in Jamshedpur FC’s home defeat to Bengaluru

Jamshedpur, May 10: Jamshedpur FC head coach Owen Coyle cut a frustrated figure after his side’s narrow 1-0 defeat to Bengaluru FC, insisting the Men of Steel “should never have lost the game” after dominating large stretches of the contest at the Furnace.

Coyle felt the result was particularly painful because of the number of opportunities his side created and the significance of the fixture in the context of the league standings. “If ever there was a game that a team should not have lost, it was certainly tonight,” he said. “We dominated the game, especially in the second half. It was just waves of attack, but we lacked that final bit of finesse and quality to put the ball in the net.”

The gaffer also questioned the decision to disallow Pratik Chaudhari’s first-half effort from Nikola’s free-kick, saying the goal appeared legitimate when he reviewed it afterwards. “It was a perfectly good goal from what I’ve seen. If that stands, we go 1-0 in front and the game changes.”

Despite conceding to Ryan Williams against the run of play, Coyle praised his players for their determination and attacking intent. Jamshedpur FC registered more corners, more shots and controlled possession for long spells, but were repeatedly denied by Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and wasteful finishing in front of goal.
“We had more everything,” Coyle said. “That’s not a tactical issue. The chances were there. It was simply about putting the ball in the net.”
The defeat was especially difficult for Coyle because it ended his unbeaten home record in Jamshedpur across all his spells with the club. “We never like losing at home. I think it’s the first game I’ve ever lost in Jamshedpur, not just this season, but any season. It doesn’t sit well.”
Looking ahead, Coyle said the result would not distract him from the bigger picture. While emphasising that the club have enjoyed a strong campaign, he admitted he already knows the areas that need strengthening to make the squad even more competitive next season.
“That’s the squad I inherited,” he said. “We win as a team and lose as a team, but I certainly know the bits we need to add to make this club even better moving forward.”

With one home fixture remaining against Odisha FC, Coyle said his immediate focus is on ensuring Jamshedpur finish the season strongly and reward their supporters.
“We want to win the last game, put a smile on the fans’ faces and finish as high as we possibly can,” he said.