Ritwik helps Jamshedpur leapfrog MBSG to 2nd spot with 1-1 ISL draw

It was only in the 84th minute of the match at JRD Tata Sports Complex on Saturday that the home team took its first shot on target, a swerving effort from outside the box by Mohammad Sanan that came closest to troubling custodian Vishal Kaith in their Indian Super League clash.

However, with the crowd at Furnace getting behind Jamshedpur FC from that moment, they dashed Mohun Bagan Super Giants’ hopes to go atop the table in the 95th minute. Super-sub Ritwik Das headed in a perfect finish to Messi Bouli’s cross from outside the box that left Kaith helpless as the ball curled into the top-right corner to earn a crucial 1-1 draw in Jamshedpur.

It also put in vain a spectacular swerving shot from Liston Colaco in the 15th minute that had given Mohun Bagan the lead — one that they maintained till the last minute of regulation time.

The draw meant that Jamshedpur leapfrogged Bagan to the second spot on the table with 14 points from seven matches and only behind Mumbai City FC on goal difference.

Sergio Lobera’s Bagan were left in third spot with identical 14 points but with the worst goal difference of the top three.

Earlier, Mohun Bagan began with determination to get the full points on offer and win the top spot as they kept building attacks into the Jamshedpur box.

One of the most optimistic of them came in the 7th minute as Colaco combined with Anirudh Thapa on the left only for the former’s return pass going for a goal kick.

However, Bagan maintained their dominance in the hosts’ box as skipper Subhasish Bose passed the ball to Liston outside it. The Bagan forward got himself space, decided to go for a long strike as Jamshedpur goalkeeper Albino Gomes was left watching the ball loop over the defence line and dip just enough to hit the underside of the crossbar and go into the back of the net.

Lobera made enough changes in the second half, and his men created ample chances to seal the game with another goal — two of the best coming to striker Jamie Maclaren — but were left wanting the perfect finish till the end of regulation time.

On the other hand, it was Owen Coyle who made the master stroke of bringing in Das in the 85th minute when his team finally began making inroads into the opposition box.

And Jamshedpur’s persistence paid off as Bouli’s cross into the Bagan box from the left reached an unmarked Das at the far post, and Jamshedpur’s super-sub calmly headed it past Kaith, who went the wrong way.