Jamshedpur, August 8: Jamshedpur FC stormed into the quarterfinals of the Durand Cup with a commanding 2-0 victory over 1 Ladakh FC at the JRD Tata Sports Complex, wrapping up their group stage campaign unbeaten. Goals in either half, combined with relentless attacking and disciplined defence, sealed the win and topped Group C for the home side.
Khalid Jamil’s men needed only a draw to qualify, but they came out hunting for all three points from the first whistle. The intent was clear to dominate and deliver. And that’s exactly what they did.
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The early chances came thick and fast. Praful Kumar could have opened the scoring in the 3rd minute after being played through by Pronay Halder, but his shot missed the target with only the goalkeeper to beat. Minutes later, Suhair failed to control a powerful header from a pinpoint Sanan cross, letting another golden opportunity slip.
But Jamshedpur’s pressure finally paid off in the 29th minute. Vincy Barretto, a constant menace down the right flank, cut past his marker and whipped in a low pull-back. In his attempt to clear, Ladakh defender Siju turned the ball into his own net.
Jayesh Rane kept testing the Ladakh keeper with a clever free kick, while Sanan and Suhair kept the Ladakh defence on edge with their movement and pace. At half-time, JFC led 1-0, but the scoreline could’ve easily been higher, had the home side were more precise in front of the goal.
In the second half, Praful Kumar made amends for his early miss by smashing home JFC’s second goal from a corner. He reacted quickest to a loose ball from the corner and smashed it into the roof of the net, making no mistake and doubling the lead for JFC.
Jamshedpur never took their foot off the pedal. Suhair, who worked tirelessly throughout, dispossessed a Ladakh defender in the 54th minute and set up Sanan, who drove into the box but saw his angled shot flash wide. Rei Tachikawa, who came in as a substitute, nearly scored in stoppage time, only to be denied by a sharp save from the Ladakh keeper.
With this win, Jamshedpur FC not only topped Group C but also finished their group stage campaign unbeaten, winning all three matches. They now await the results of other group games to find out their opponent in the quarterfinals
