Sports News | Odisha FC Stay Alive in Race for Playoffs with 3-2 Win over Jamshedpur FC
Get latest articles and stories on Sports at LatestLY. Hugo Boumous struck a brace as Odisha FC defeated Jamshedpur FC 3-2 to remain in the hunt for a playoffs berth in the Indian Super League (ISL) here on Wednesday.
Jamshedpur, Mar 5 (PTI) Hugo Boumous struck a brace as Odisha FC defeated Jamshedpur FC 3-2 to remain in the hunt for a playoffs berth in the Indian Super League (ISL) here on Wednesday.
Boumous scored in the 37th and 53rd minutes after team-mate Dori had given their side the lead in the 21st minute. Jordan Murray (84th) and Stephen Eze (90+1) were the scorers for Jamshedpur.
With the win at the JRD Tata Sports Complex, the Juggernauts climbed to the sixth spot with 33 points from 24 matches, but their league campaign has wrapped up.
For their playoffs chances, Odisha FC are now reliant on Mumbai City FC, placed seventh with 33 points. The Islanders will need to lose their remaining two matches for the Juggernauts to remain in the reckoning for the sixth spot and thus a playoffs spot.
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While Jamshedpur FC have been adept at absorbing pressure and then countering it with fast breaks, Odisha FC struck them at their own gameplay to find the breakthrough in the 21st minute.
A quick passing move initiated from the backline culminated with Boumous delivering a lethal final pass to Dori at the centre of the 18-yard box, which the attacker seamlessly deposited into the bottom left corner with his right foot to deliver a neat finish.
Upon tasting success, the Juggernauts stuck to the same style of play for making breakaways inside the Jamshedpur FC defensive third.
After a grappling passage of play that saw both sides fight to control possession at the centre of the park, Odisha FC doubled their lead through a strike by Boumous in the 37th minute.
It was Isak Vanlalruatfela who turned provider this time around, finding Boumous in a promising position in the heart of the 18-yard area with a slick through ball, which was received and nestled into the bottom right corner by the attacking midfielder with impeccable precision.
Jamshedpur FC expedited their efforts to strike back immediately afterwards, with the duo of Imran Khan and Jordan Murray joining hands to play a ball to the latter outside of the box. Murray attempted a shot from distance and managed to keep it on target, but Amrinder Singh saved it promptly.
That did not deter Odisha FC from exploring their chances extensively. As a consequence of a corner kick, Rahul KP sent a pass to Boumous outside of the box. Boumous picked the ball with his left foot and managed to land it into the bottom left corner to bag his brace and Odisha FC's third goal of the night in the 53rd minute of the match.
Jamshedpur FC produced a late charge to try and get something out of the contest. They stepped up the intensity, albeit a bit late in the match.
Amrinder's early alertness inside the box was neutralised with him picking a yellow card for a foul, which was followed by Jordan Murray taking up spot-kick duties and converting his penalty by hammering the ball into the top right corner in the 84th minute to cut the deficit.
This was followed with Muhammed Uvais delivering a superb lateral ball for the towering Stephen Eze to head into the bottom right corner of the net in the added time of the second half.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)