East Bengal suffered their fourth consecutive loss in the ongoing ISL, as Jamshedpur returned to winning ways with a 2-0 victory in front of a 20,250-strong crowd. Despite showing a glimmer of hope with an improved first-half display, East Bengal squandered chances, leaving their travelling supporters frustrated.
The visiting East Bengal side, greeted by a raucous atmosphere at the JRD Tata Sports Complex, dominated in terms of creating goal-scoring opportunities but failed to convert. In contrast, the home team capitalised on the few chances they had, riding the wave of support to secure the 2-0 win.
In the 21st minute, Jamshedpur’s Rei Tachikawa sent the home fans into a frenzy as he pounced on a loose pass from East Bengal defender Lalchungnunga, firing into the top-right corner beyond a fully stretched Debjit Majumdar to give Jamshedpur the lead. The Japanese forward was later substituted due to injury, with former East Bengal striker Javier Siverio coming on in his place.
Cleiton Silva had a golden opportunity to equalise for East Bengal in the 32nd minute, but his left-footed shot narrowly sailed over the crossbar. Three minutes later, he had another chance, this time fed by Mahesh Naorem’s precise low cross, but his tame effort was brilliantly saved by Jamshedpur’s goalkeeper, Albino Gomes.
At the stroke of half-time, Nandha Kumar found himself in a one-on-one situation after receiving a fine through pass from Madih Talal. However, once again, Albino came to Jamshedpur’s rescue, making a crucial save.
East Bengal started the second half with the same attacking intent, desperately searching for an equaliser. Their persistence paid off when they were awarded a penalty after Cleiton was fouled by Javi Hernandez. Unfortunately, Saul Crespo’s weak spot-kick was easily saved by Albino Gomes.
Just two minutes later, Cleiton Silva came close again, breaking free of his marker, but his shot from the edge of the box struck the post. Things went from bad to worse for the visitors as Jamshedpur extended their lead through an own goal. An unmarked Imran Khan delivered a low cross from inside the box, which was inadvertently turned into the net by Lalchungnunga.
East Bengal refused to give up, pushing forward relentlessly. Coach Bino George brought on PV Vishnu, David Lalhlansanga, and Aman CK to inject fresh energy into their attack, but nothing yielded results. In the 80th minute, Talal’s long-range attempt from outside the box was parried away by Albino’s outstretched hand.
Despite a few late inroads, East Bengal failed to capitalise and ultimately succumbed to their fourth straight defeat of the season.
East Bengal’s interim head coach George remains optimistic, believing his team still has a chance to finish in the top six. He noted the improved attacking display compared to their previous match.
“We played more attacking football than in the last game, but their goalkeeper (Albino Gomes) was outstanding. The ISL is a long league, and I am confident that our boys will finish in the top six,” Bino said. He also added that the upcoming international break could be a turning point for the team, giving them time to recover.
Jamshedpur coach Khalid Jamil praised East Bengal’s efforts, saying, “East Bengal played good football. They created a lot of opportunities, but we got what we wanted at the end of the day.”