Match number 23 between Jamshedpur FC and SC East Bengal was an intriguing contest. Both the teams were in need of the three points which the contest offered. The three points were vital for the red and golds to kickstart their campaign and end the 3 match losing streak and for Jamshedpur, the three points were important to get back to winning ways after a couple of draws.
SC East Bengal was yet to score in the Indian Super League whereas Jamshedpur’s golden boot-winning Lithuanian Nerijus Valskis had alone contributed 5 goals for them. The odds were in the favor of Jamshedpur FC as they were in a better vein of form than their opponents SC East Bengal. With injuries to Welsh striker Aaron Amadi Halloway, captain Danny Fox, and Loken Meitei SC East Bengal had a lot of concerns coming into this fixture.
The Beautiful Tilak Maidan stadium hosted this encounter with both the teams eager to put on a great performance. The first real chance went to Jamshedpur FC in the 5 minute where Aniket Jadhav blazed his shot over the bar. Then in the 24th minute, Eugeneson Lyngdoh was sent off by the referee, His fouls on Dinliana and Alex Lima resulted in two yellow cards.
Then in the 28th minute of the match, a thunderous volley From Nerijus Valskis went wide without troubling the debutant custodian Sankar Roy. Attacks continued from Jamshedpur as the 10 men SC East Bengal found it difficult to penetrate through the defensive duo of Peter Hartley and Stephen Eze. In the 38th minute, a towering header from Stephen Eze struck the crossbar. SC East Bengal played extremely well to go into half time without conceding.
In the second half for the second time in the match, Jamshedpur hit the crossbar, Alex Lima’s powerful left-footed strike was denied by the woodwork. Jamshedpur FC failed to capitalize on Eugeneson’s red card as all of their attacks were thwarted by SC East Bengal’s defense. In the stoppage time of the match, more drama unfolded as Jamshedpur FC fullback Dinliana was sent off after collecting two yellow cards. Luckily for jamshedpur, there wasn’t enough time for SC East Bengal to Capitalize on it.
The Match ended in a 0-0 draw. Both sets of players showed how passionate and committed they are towards their respective clubs. With this draw, SC East Bengal has now opened their account in the Indian Super League and Jamshedpur FC climbed to 6 points. Jamshedpur FC and SC East Bengal are now 5th and 11th in the Indian Super League table respectively.
Now Let’s take a look on how both the teams fared in our ratings
SC EAST BENGAL
Sankar Roy – 7
The Debutant goalkeeper had a decent first half with a couple of good saves and he was also saved by the crossbar around the 40-minute mark. His debut came to an early end as he got injured in the 61st minute and he was replaced by Debjit Majumdar who started the first 3 games.
Scott Neville – 7.5
The Aussie right-back is turning out to be an impressive signing for the red and golds. Scott Neville was solid in defense and was good with his passing. After the injury to Danny Fox, Neville has been looking after the SC East Bengal’s defense very well. His solid showing helped SC East Bengal pick up a vital point.
Sehnaj Singh – 7
After the injury to Center half Danny Fox, Robbie Fowler turned towards the experienced Indian Defensive Midfielder to fill in into a center back’s role. Sehnaj Singh so far has done extremely well to fit into the side. Today he did well in defense alongside Mohammed Irshad and Scott Neville. Sehnaj Singh has a knack of picking up yellow cards but today he did well to stay out of the referee’s book.
Mohammed Irshad – 8
The Kerala born defender produced a hero of the match worthy performance. Irshad was rock solid in defense denying Jamshedpur FC from finding the back of the net. His tackles and interceptions were crucial for his side notably that sliding challenge which he made on William to keep him away from the scoresheet.
Narayan Das – 6.5
An early red card limited the left fullback’s attacking game tonight as he had to support the defense more. Narayan das did a decent job in defense but his game was not up to the standards of his defensive partners. Even though he was caught out of position in some occasions the experienced left-back just about managed to keep his flank steady
Mohammed Rafique – 6.5
Just like Narayan Das, Mohammed Rafique’s game was also affected by Eugeneson’s red card. Mohammed Rafique is a player who likes to run at opposition defenders. He is often more involved in attack rather than in defense. He made some crucial clearances and tackles which contributed towards the team’s first clean sheet in the Indian Super League
Eugeneson Lyngdoh – 5.5
After 22 months away from football Eugeneson Lyngdoh made his first start but his game didn’t last long as he got sent off in the 24th minute. Eugeneson collected two yellow cards in the space of just 4 minutes putting his team under massive pressure.
Matti Steinmann – 7.5
The German midfielder was really good in tonight’s contest. Steinmann showed his attacking prowess by beating Jamshedpur FC players with ease. The 25-year-old defensive midfielder was crucial in breaking up play and linking up attacks. The SC East Bengal faithful would be pleased with Steinmann’s performance.
Anthony Pilkington – 7.5
Anthony Pilkington has been the only bright spark going forward for SC East Bengal. The skillful attacker with his mazy runs was a genuine threat for Jamshedpur FC defense. He also won a few aerial duels as well for his side. One thing is for sure Anthony Pilkington will find the net sooner rather than later.
Jacques Maghoma – 7
The Congolese attacker was not at his best today. Although Maghoma was one of the fastest players on the pitch and made a few dribbles, He mostly supported his defense today. Maghoma worked hard for his side in midfield as they were down to 10 men as early as the 24th minute.
Jeje Lalpekhlua – 6
Jeje made his first start for SC East Bengal today. His performance was disappointing as he didn’t manage to create many opportunities to score. Jeje was easily shielded off by Jamshedpur skipper Peter Hartley and was subbed off at half time.
Substitutes:- Angousana – 6, Debjit Majumdar – 6
JAMSHEDPUR FC
Rehenesh TP – 7
Apart from that red card, TP Rehenesh is having a good season so far in the colors of Jamshedpur FC. But today he wasn’t troubled much by East Bengal as they only managed a single shot on target. Rehenesh did his duties well enough and earned a clean sheet.
Diniliana – 5.5
The former Chennaiyin FC right-back had a horrible game today. His crosses were not accurate as it used to be, His lofted balls were easily intercepted and he gave away the ball way too many times. And in the stoppage time of the match, his day went from bad to worse as he was sent off after getting two yellow cards.
Peter Hartley – 7.5
The Englishmen was a rock at the back for Jamshedpur FC. He dealt with all the pressure that the 10 men SC East Bengal managed to create. His passing and clearances were extremely amazing and important for Jamshedpur FC. His understanding with Stephen Eze is one of the main positives for Jamshedpur FC so far.
Stephen Eze – 8
It was another extraordinary performance from the big center-back from Nigeria. His partnership with peter hartley was impenetrable for SC East Bengal. He was equally good at attack and defense today. Eze was really unlucky as his header hit the crossbar. He was surely one of the candidates for the hero of the match. If he had managed to score he would have certainly taken the award away from Mohammed Irshad.
Ricky Lallawmawma – 7
Today we saw another solid performance from Ricky. He has been consistently delivering solid performances throughout the first 5 games. He needs to work a bit more on his attacking game as he mostly wasn’t involved in his team’s attacks
Aitor Monroy – 7
Jamshedpur’s Midfield general was impressive today as well. Aitor Monroy propelles almost all of Jamshedpur’s attacks with his extremely magnificent passing ability. Even though today wasn’t his best of days Aitor Monroy started plenty of attacks and whipped in some great set pieces into the box for his side.
Mobashir Rahman – 6.5
The Talented young midfielder has had a good start to the season with his hometown club Jamshedpur FC. But today his performance was mediocre. Mobashir is an exciting talent, With more game time the youngster will develop even further. Coach Owen Coyle quickly realized that Mobashir was having an off day and he substituted the 22-year-old and brought in Jackichand Singh
Aniket Jadhav – 6.5
The Exciting winger started the game off badly with a poor attempt at goal in the fifth minute of the match. Aniket showed his pace and desire and got better with minutes but was replaced by Isaac as Jamshedpur wasn’t putting many crosses in towards the joint top scorer of the league Nerijus Valskis
William Lalnunfela – 7.5
The 25-year old seems to have impressed his coach as Owen Coyle is confident enough to start him alongside Nerijus Valskis. The presence of William is a confidence booster for Valskis as he can work with him to create spaces to shoot. William gets into great positions and with his blistering pace, he is able to go wide or through the middle. William was very lively in today’s encounter. He was an important part of Jamshedpur’s attack with his versatility and speed.
Alex Lima – 7.5
He is the Most Underrated Player in the Jamshedpur FC Lineup. Alex Lima plays a pivotal role in Jamshedpur’s midfield. He creates opportunities for players around him. His performance was decent today as well but it could have been even better if he managed to score from that powerful strike that rattled the bar. His awareness and ability to pick out the right passes have been of great use for his side so far. Alex Lima has a huge role to play throughout this season for Jamshedpur FC
Nerijus Valskis – 7
The Indian Super League’s Joint top scorer and last season’s golden boot winner Nerijus Valskis is becoming one of the most lethal strikers to ever play in the Indian Super League. prior to this match Valskis has played 24 matches and scored 20 goals in his career so far in India. Today Nerijus Valskis underperformed. The service towards him wasn’t the best either. His attempts at goal were easily saved and he was tightly marked by SC East Bengal defense. Because of his lofty standards, we expect much better performances from him.
Substitutes:- Jackichand Singh – 7, Isaac -7, Karan Amin – No Rating
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