Jamshedpur, February 15 Jamshedpur FC celebrated the return of Indian Super League football to the city with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Mohammedan SC at the JRD Tata Sports Complex here on Sunday.
In front of a roaring home crowd, Madih Talal's first-half strike proved decisive as the Men of Steel began their campaign with three valuable points.
The atmosphere was electric at the start, and Jamshedpur quickly asserted themselves. Talal looked lively from the outset, orchestrating play in midfield, creating passes, and constantly looking to unlock the opposition defence with his creativity.
An early warning came in the third minute when Talal won possession and quickly passed to Messi Bouli, who attempted to deflect the ball, but the effort went just over. Moments later, Messi tried his luck from a wide angle, but his shot went above the bar.
The breakthrough came in the eighth minute. Receiving the ball from midfield, Talal drove forward with confidence and calmly slotted the ball into the corner of the net, sending the Furnace into raptures and giving Jamshedpur FC a deserved 1-0 lead.
Jamshedpur thought they had doubled their advantage in the 32nd minute when Messi scored a header from a pinpoint Sanan Mohammed cross. But the referee ruled the goal out for offside. The disallowed goal proved to be a turning point in the half, with the tempo slowing down thereafter as both sides became more cautious in possession.
After the break, Jamshedpur continued to control the game, but found it harder to create clear-cut chances. Owen Coyle introduced Nikola Stojanovic in the 65th minute in place of Rei Tachikawa to inject fresh energy into midfield.
The Men of Steel showed greater attacking intent as the second half progressed, moving the ball quickly and pressing for a second goal. Despite sustained pressure and probing runs into the final third, they failed to score.
Defensively, Jamshedpur remained compact and disciplined, limiting Mohammedan SC to few meaningful opportunities.
And at the final whistle, it was Talal's early strike that separated the two sides, securing a clean sheet and a winning start to the ISL campaign for Jamshedpur FC.
With eight home matches ahead and momentum on their side, the Men of Steel will look to build on this performance and continue to make the Furnace a fortress once again.
