ISL: Jamshedpur edges Kerala Blasters out of playoffs races

Kochi: The celebrated Kerala Blasters were edged out of playoffs races on Saturday night by Jamshedpur FC, which came from behind to force the former into a draw with an equalizer in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here. When Korou Singh’s brilliant goal put the Yellow Army ahead in the 35th minute, Jamshedpur’s Drincic scored back in the second half.

With this draw, Kerala Blasters FC are out of the playoff contention for this season as they can only reach a maximum of 31 points, which is a point less than the sixth-placed NorthEast United FC (32), with still two matches in hand. Both the teams started slowly and gradually became more assured in possession as the match progressed. Given that it was a must-win game for the Kerala Blasters FC, they showed more urgency than their counterparts, who had already qualified for the playoffs.

The hosts took control of the game early in the first half and had the lion’s share of possession. In the 23rd minute, Adrian Luna made a surging run down the middle before unleashing Kwame Peprah on the left flank. The Ghanaian had space to work with, but Jamshedpur FC defenders recovered quickly to thwart the danger.

Kerala Blasters FC eventually broke the deadlock in the 35th minute when Korou Singh scored a brilliant solo goal. It all started with Albino Gomes’s goal kick, which reached the Kerala Blasters FC penalty area and was headed away by Dusan Lagator. The stray ball was picked up by Korou, who came up with a great header to leave Stephen Eze high and dry in midfield. The youngster turned back in a jiffy, controlled his header, and ran past three defenders before beating Albino from a tight angle with a vicious effort.

Unlike the first half, the second half saw a fiery start, with Eze rising the highest from a corner and testing Nora Fernandes in goal for the Blasters. The custodian did well to keep out the danger.

With the visitors not creating enough chances to get back into the game, Khalid decided to introduce Rei Tachikawa in midfield in the 59th minute at the cost of Lazar Cirkovic.

Things took a drastic turn in the 86th minute when Sreekuttan got hold of a stray ball on the right wing. The youngster delivered a decent cross into the box, but it ricocheted off Milos Drincic and nestled into his own net, awarding the equaliser to Jamshedpur FC.

With their season on the line, Kerala Blasters FC threw bodies forward in search of the winner, but Jamshedpur FC managed the game well to register a hard-fought draw away from home. Kerala Blasters will host Mumbai City FC next in Kochi on March 7, whereas Jamshedpur FC will return home to welcome Odisha FC in the next match on March 5.

IANS.