Kolkata: Jamshedpur FC finished their Durand Cup 2022 campaign with a 2-1 win over Indian Air Force FT at the Kishore Bharati Stadium, here on Thursday.
A goal from Piush (26′) gave Jamshedpur FC the lead but the team from the armed forces pushed back with an equaliser after a goal from Somananda (39′) in the closing stages of the first half.
It was in the 84th minute that the Red Miners got their lead back thanks to the efforts of Ruatmawia who restored their lead and ended their campaign with a win.
The game exhibited end-to-end action in the starting minutes of the match, with Indian Air Force FT looking threatening whenever they got the ball moving into the final third as Jamshedpur FC were enjoying greater possession.
The Armed Forces side had almost scored the opener of the game as the crossbar denied Vivek’s powerful strike after powering through a counter-attack.
It didn’t take long for the Men of Steel to respond as they broke the deadlock through Piush, who scored from an easy one-on-one situation after he was set up by Ruatmawia, who got past a player and put in a beautiful through ball in-between the four defenders down the middle.
In the 39th minute, Indian Air Force FT fought back with an equaliser as Somananda scored a belter, a shot that rocketed in the bottom-right corner almost from 40 yards out, with the Jamshedpur FC keeper having no chance.
Both sides started attacking with more intent with crucial saves being made at both ends by the two keepers that kept the score level.
Having renewed energy after the equaliser, Priyadarshan’s men looked alive in the second half as they kept mounting pressure on the Red Miners. Jamshedpur FC had a fantastic chance to recover their lead after a beautiful play but substitute Kamlesh missed a sitter after Ruatmawia made a cut-back pass to him as the score remained level.
With a flurry of chances in the game, neither side could prove their dominance as the play had everything except the end product — the goal.
In the 84th minute, Carlos Santamarina’s men got the better of the armed forces’ side a second time as their left-footed magician Ruatmawia struck one home to give the lead back to his side after he found the back of the net from a lovely Tapan Halder cross.
Wrapping up the competition, Jamshedpur FC see themselves in the third position, above former champions FC Goa while Indian Air Force remain winless and finish their campaign at the bottom of the table.
–IANS