Jamshedpur FC (JFC) midfielder Javi Hernandez stole the thunder when he struck in second-half injury time to stun Mohun Bagan Super Giant (MBSG) 2-1 in the first leg of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 semifinal at the JRD Tata Sports Complex here on Thursday.
An eventful start to the first half saw JFC garner an advantage in the contest, riding on the aerial prowess of Javier Siverio and Stephen Eze. The towering defender’s awareness inside the 18-yard box saw him deliver a headed pass to Siverio, who nodded the ball into the bottom right corner.
MBSG sparked its intent almost immediately though, moving cohesively in tandem to ask questions to the JFC backline. Greg Stewart’s clinical eye for a pass met Alberto Rodriguez inside the penalty area, and though the defender did well to meet the delivery, he could only rattle the crossbar with his eventual effort.
MBSG had its decisive moment in front of the goal in the 37th minute, courtesy of an impeccable free kick from Jason Cummings.
The striker has donned a host of roles in the current campaign, often coming off the bench to capitalise upon the tired legs of the opposition and bag late goals. On Thursday, he stepped up on set-piece duties and buried the opportunity with tremendous precision into the top right corner with his left foot, making it all square.
The visitors began the second half with similar momentum, as Anirudh Thapa served Stewart a well-weighted ball in the left side of the box, which the former Jamshedpur FC star could not dispatch into the back of the net due to a weakened final effort in the 51st minute.
Just before the hour mark, MBSG aimed to maximise Rodriguez’s aerial abilities with Liston Colaco delivering a lethal lateral ball that the defender got to the end of but eventually misdirected to the left side of the goal.
Though JFC spent a significant chunk of the second essay absorbing pressure, it found the lead after a fast break in added time.
The Red Miners carved open the MBSG structure with a string of passes, which capped off with Ritwik Das finding Javi in a pocket of space in the centre of the box. The 35-year-old, who had scored from Ritwik’s assist in the playoff got another goal to his name to force pandemonium in the sold-out stadium.
JFC will play the return leg at the Salt Lake Stadium on April 7, looking to maintain its slender lead and reach a historic ISL Cup final for the first time.
Content Source: sportstar.thehindu.com