Kozhikode | Jamshedpur FC finished their Super Cup group stage campaign with a perfect record, beating hosts Gokulam Kerala 3-2 in the final game at the EMS Corporation Stadium here on Tuesday. They are the only team to have registered three straight wins in the competition's group stage in this edition.
The first half of the game saw Jamshedpur and Gokulam Kerala evenly matched, both holding an equal amount of the ball and attempting shots on goal. It was a battle fought in the middle of the park as the two sides looked to take control of the game.
It was the Malabarians who drew first blood in the 33rd minute when Sourav got the better of three Jamshedpur defenders and passed it onto Samuel Konney in a dangerous position. The Ghanaian forward made no mistake in slotting it home. The goal brought cheers from the home fans who had turned up in numbers to watch their side play their final game of the tournament.
However, their celebrations were short-lived as Jamshedpur found a reply within minutes. It all started with a defence-splitting pass from midfielder Germanpreet Singh who spotted Harry Sawyer on the run. The Australian attacker used his finesse to beat goalkeeper Shibinraj Kunniyil from close range to make it 1-1.
After switching sides, Jamshedpur's Ishan Pandita was a constant threat with his brilliant diagonal runs inside the box, keeping the Gokulam defence guessing. The striker twice went close to breaking the deadlock within a span of five minutes. In the 50th minute, Pandita's header off a Komal Thatal cross was just wide of the target.
In the 58th minute, Jamshedpur finally found the breakthrough they needed. Farukh Choudhary showed great control inside the box and lashed it home through the legs of the goalkeeper to make it 2-1. This time, it was Gokulam Kerala's turn to bounce back and score the equaliser. In the 62nd minute, Samuel capitalised on a loose ball inside the box, dribbled past a couple of Jamshedpur defenders, and drove it from an awkward angle.
The game took a lively turn as both sides produced an end-to-end contest in search of the winning goal. Ultimately, Ishan Pandita found the goal he deserved after several attempts earlier in the game. The 24-year-old met Ritwik Das' clever assist at the edge of the box and beat the goalkeeper from distance to make it 3-2.
In the other match, ATK Mohun Bagan's highly campaign ended on an even more sour note when they went down 0-1 to FC Goa in their concluding Group C match at the EMS Corporation Stadium.
Syrian recruit Fares Al Arnaout scored the only goal of the match in the 88th minute.
