Guwahati, May 9: A second-half brace from Lawmsangzuala helped Jamshedpur FC U-17 come from behind and defeat NorthEast United FC 2-1 in a thrilling quarterfinal clash of the AIFF U-17 Elite Youth League at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati on Friday.
The Young Men of Steel were trailing at halftime after NorthEast United scored in the 35th minute to take the lead. But a spirited second-half performance turned the tide in Jamshedpur’s favour.
The equaliser came just two minutes after the restart. A mispass from the NorthEast United backline was intercepted by Rayan C, who quickly fed the ball to Seram. Showing great awareness, Seram laid it off to Lawmsangzuala, who calmly slotted home to bring JFC level in the 47th minute.
Riding high on momentum, Jamshedpur maintained relentless pressure on their opponents. The decisive goal arrived in the 68th minute when Zuala pounced on a loose ball inside the box. His shot took a deflection off a defender and found the back of the net, sealing a deserved comeback victory for the Jharkhand side.
With this win, Jamshedpur FC U-17 stormed into the semifinals of the national tournament and will now face AIFF-FIFA Talent Academy on May 12 at 8:30 AM in Guwahati. This will be a rematch of the group stage encounter where JFC narrowly missed the top spot.
