Odisha extend unbeaten streak to five games
Kolkata: Odisha FC overcame East Bengal FC 2-1 here on Thursday to extend their unbeaten streak in this Indian Super League season to five games.
All three goals of the match came in the second half, with Jerry Mawihmingthanga and Hugo Boumous netting in the 55th and the 81st minutes of the game respectively, as the Red & Gold Brigade found their only strike through Lal Chungnunga in the 53rd minute. East Bengal FC were reduced to 10 men in the 43rd minute due to Jeakson Singh’s sending off.
The opening essay of the match saw some chances coming in both team’s favours.
Nandhakumar Sekar embarked on an ambitious solo run from the right flank in the 23rd minute, dazzling into the box and holding his shape before making a terrific effort at goal, but was denied by an outstretched Amrinder Singh.
Seven minutes later, Ahmed Jahouh’s free-kick inside the East Bengal FC box, directed to Mourtada Fall, reached the towering defender, but he ended up heading the ball off-target.
Odisha FC continued to attack and a passage of end-to-end action unfolded with both teams offering each other abundant space at the back.
One such move saw the trio of Isak Vanlalruatfela, Boumous, and Jerry interlink seamlessly inside the East Bengal FC penalty area in the 36th minute. Isak surged ahead on the wing and found Boumous ahead of him. The attacking midfielder crossed the ball to Jerry whose shot was kept at bay by Prabhsukhan Singh Gill. East Bengal FC were dealt with a blow in the 43rd minute when Jeakson was sent off for accumulating his second yellow card of the game.
He fouled Diego Mauricio and the home side was thus reduced to 10 men, handing a numerical advantage to the Juggernauts.
To their credit, East Bengal FC grabbed the first lead in the contest despite that, as Lal Chungnunga pounced upon a crowded Odisha FC box following a corner kick to smash the ball into the centre of the net in the 53rd minute, as the Juggernauts’ defence was unable to clear their lines in time.
