ISL: Jamshedpur gets the better of Punjab

Punjab falls to Jamshedpur despite Vidal's stunning goal in Indian Super League match.

A wondrous long-range strike by substitute Ezequiel Vidal couldn’t prevent Punjab from suffering a 1-2 defeat to Jamshedpur in an Indian Super League (ISL) fixture at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Tuesday. Pratik Chaudhuri and Javier Hernandez were the goal-scorers for Jamshedpur.

The opening goal for Jamshedpur came in the 41st minute. It was via a corner, with Japan’s Rei Tachikawa playing the role of provider by delivering a deadly cross into the six-yard zone. Chaudhuri did the rest, leaping above Punjab’s defenders and ensuring that his powerful header sped into the back of the net.

Jamshedpur doubled its lead soon after resumption. In the 48th minute, defender Ivan Novoselec played a back pass to goalkeeper Muheet Shabir even as Hernandez charged into the box to exert pressure. It paid dividends as Shabir’s shabby clearance rebounded off Hernandez and went in.

Punjab did cut down the deficit through Vidal’s stunning effort in the 58th minute. From around 30 yards out, the attacking midfielder from Argentina made a crisp connection with his left-footed shot and found the bottom corner.

A lively start to the game saw both teams have a shy at goal early on. The first real opportunity fell to Jamshedpur in the sixth minute, when a misplaced pass by Punjab’s Khaiminthang Lhungdim was seized on by Imran Khan in a dangerous position. The winger passed the ball to Javier Toro, who set it up for Hernandez to take aim with his left foot. Hernandez made good contact, but the shot went just wide of the right post.

Punjab had its moments as well. But the precision needed in the 18-yard box was sorely missing as its winless run extended to a seventh game.

The result: Punjab FC 1 (Vidal 58) lost to Jamshedpur FC 2 (Chaudhuri 41, Hernandez 48).