Jamshedpur FC 1-0 SC East Bengal - 4 things we learned

SC East Bengal are winless this season (PC: ISL Media)

Jamshedpur FC secured a 1-0 victory against SC East Bengal in the Indian Super League (ISL) on Monday courtesy of a late goal from Ishan Pandita. The Indian centre-forward made no mistake in converting from a Greg Stewart corner in the 88th minute.

The game was goalless for the most part as the Red Miners failed to score a goal despite taking 14 shots at goal. They were the dominant side heading into the tie and kept 63% of the possession throughout the match.

Renedy Singh and his men were on the verge of drawing the match for the fourth consecutive time when Ishan Pandita won it for his team. With this result, the Kolkata Giants remain winless and languish at the bottom of the table with six points.

Let us take a look at the top four things we learned from this match in the ISL.

Jamshedpur FC move to the top of the table

With three points against SC East Bengal, Jamshedpur FC have become the league leaders for the first time this season. They dethrone Kerala Blasters, who topped the table on Sunday after they defeated Hyderabad FC.

Owen Coyle and his men have deserved this moment after their consistent form this season. They have won five and drawn four out of their 11 matches. They now have 17 points in their kitty, two more than Mumbai City FC and Kerala Blasters FC. The latter, though, will have an opportunity to reclaim top spot on Wednesday against Odisha FC.

For now, Jamshedpur FC and their supporters shall enjoy the moment as they look ahead to the rest of their ISL 2021-22 campaign.

Greg Stewart instrumental for Jamshedpur FC once again

5️⃣ Goals, 2️⃣ Assists & 2️⃣4️⃣ Chances Created! 🔝👏

Congratulations to @JamshedpurFC's Greg Stewart for winning the December 2021 Hero of the Month Award! 🚀🔥💪

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Greg Stewart made headlines even before the ISL season began when he signed for Jamshedpur FC from Rangers FC. The Scot played under Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard during his time at Rangers and has not disappointed his fans in India.

Stewart has five goals and six assists to his name already this season and seems on his way to the Golden Ball. He is the joint top assist provider in the league with Mumbai City FC's Ahmed Jahouh. He has rescued Jamshedpur FC time and again, proving to be one of the best players in the ISL this season.

Stewart was instrumental even today as he assisted Ishan Pandita from the corner-kick. He will be crucial for Jamshedpur FC in the second leg of the season if they plan on taking home a piece of silverware.

SC East Bengal winless this season

SC East Bengal are having a worse outing this season than their debut ISL season last time around. In 11 matches, the Red and Golds have not been able to win a single one. Considering the results from last season, SC East Bengal are now on a 15-match winless run.

📷Moments from the first period. Get in, lads!

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After parting ways with head coach Manolo Diaz, assistant coach Renedy Singh took charge of the team. He did a decent job with the resources available to him as he drew against teams like Hyderabad FC, Bengaluru FC and Mumbai City FC. However, Jamshedpur FC scored a solitary goal to knock them out of the match on Tuesday.

With new coach Mario Rivera taking over the team in a few days, SC East Bengal will hope to give something to the fans as they continue their barren run.

Ishan Pandita lives up to his reputation as super-sub

Ishan Pandita has scored six goals in his ISL career, all of which came after the 23-year-old was substituted into the match. He scored four goals for FC Goa last season and scored his second for Jamshedpur FC against SC East Bengal. Pandita developed a reputation for scoring the winner for his side and he lived up to it in the match.

Pandita signed for the club with intentions to start matches instead of being brought late into the match. However, he has failed to do the same under Owen Coyle, with Nerijus Valskis and Jordan Murray being preferred ahead of him. With Valskis now gone to Chennaiyin FC, the Indian youngster can hope to start matches this season.