Jamshedpur: Hosts Jamshedpur Football Club (JFC) suffered their first loss in the Indian Super League (ISL) against the FC Pune City at the JRD Tata Sports Complex on Sunday evening.
The Men of Steel gave their 100 per cent on the field but were unlucky to convert chances into goals and lost the match by 1-0 to FC Pune City who joined the table toppers in the league.
It took FC Pune City 30 minutes to break through Jamshedpur FC defence that had kept four consecutive clean sheets in the ISL.
FC Pune City defender Adil Khan’s goal at the half an hour mark proved to be the difference between the two sides as Pune registered their third win in five matches to accumulate nine points, the same as leaders Bengaluru FC, FC Goa and Chennaiyin FC.
Striker Azuka Izu tried hard to convert the chances but was unlucky and fired some of the shots over the goal post while the FC Pune City goalkeeper Vishal Kaith was energetic in the field and was prompt at the ball.
Just before the end of the first half Izu Azuka found the back of the net with his header from Matheus Trindade’s cross from the left was ruled offside however.
After the match, JFC defender Andre Bikey termed the loss as unlucky and said that we created chances and gave our full on the field but today was not our day.
‘Our next game against Bengaluru FC will be very tough as they are the table toppers and we will have to create more opportunities to win the match’, added Bikey.
Steve Coppell’s men reacted well after going a goal down. The home team immediately put Pune under an extended spell of pressure and in the 44th minute, they had the ball in the opposition net. Matheus Trindade’s cross from the left was turned into Pune goal by Izu Azuka, but the Nigerian was flagged offside before he could celebrate.
Two minutes into the second half, Pune had a great chance to double their lead. Emiliano Alfaro released Diego Carlos on the right who drilled in a low cross across the face of goal. Both Marcelinho and Isaac were in the box but failed to turn the ball home.
Photo by: Arjun Singh / ISL / SPORTZPICS
Unable to break through Pune defence, Steve Coppell brought on Kervens Belfort to replace Trindade in the 66th minute but it was Popovic’s side that looked likely to pull one more ahead.
Jamshedpur themselves had a great chance to equalise in the 76th minute when the ball came to Shouvik Ghosh following a melee from a free-kick. The home team though would have preferred a striker taking the shot as he blasted the ball over goal.
With just 10 minutes left on the clock, Pune�s efforts to take all three points suffered a big blow after Lalchhuanmawia Fanai was given the marching orders for his foul on Bikash Jairu. The Pune left-back was already on a yellow card when he was adjudged to have caught Jairu with his flailing arm.
Biswas then had his header from Farukh Choudhary�s cross saved by Pune custodian Kaith in the 88th minute. That proved to be the last piece of action from the match, as Jamshedpur succumbed to their first defeat in the league with 10-men-Pune edging them 1-0.