Jamshedpur FC vs Mumbai City FC: Islanders extend their winning run with a comeback victory over the resilient Red Miners | ISL 2022-23

Mumbai City FC scripted a dramatic second-half comeback to edge past resilient Jamshedpur FC at the JRD Tata Sports Complex on Friday, January 27.

Despite the gap in the league standings, the Red Miners showed tremendous fight to keep the visitors at bay for most of the match. But in the end, Mumbai City had too much quality at their disposal for Jamshedpur FC to handle.

FT: JFC 1⃣-2⃣ MCFC

An end to end game between the clubs but we pocket the 3 points tonight💪

We're now 11 wins running and 16 games unbeaten🤩

What a night for us, मंडळी!

#JFCMCFC #MumbaiCity #AamchiCity🔵 https://t.co/p4HMszPVcP

As expected, MCFC had a solid start to the game; Bipin Singh unlocked the opposition's defense in the 10th minute with a low cross that found Jorge Pereyra Diaz. The Argentine forward was brought down by TP Rehenesh inside the JFC box. Unluckily for the visitors, the referee decided not to award the penalty for what appeared to be a blatant foul.

The initial scare switched on the home side as they displayed a disciplined performance for the rest of the half to shut out the Islanders. Mumbai City couldn't register a shot on target, although they came close through Lallianzuala Chhangte in the 36th minute.

The Men of Steel, meanwhile, had a few chances of their own. In the 42nd minute, it seemed like Jamshedpur had pulled ahead when Daniel Chima Chukwu's header off a corner from Jay Emmanuel-Thomas was deflected into the back of the net. However, the referee blew the whistle for a foul during the set-piece.

The two teams went into half-time on level terms and Des Buckingham had some serious thinking to do.

Mumbai City FC's crude yet efficient approach carries them to late comeback against Jamshedpur FC

The hosts started the second half just as they had ended the first - with great intensity. Jamshedpur's attack was on form right from the get-go and tested Phurba Lachenpa on a couple of occasions.

The Red Miners came agonizingly close to the opening goal in the 58th minute when Ritwik Kumar Das' shot was cleared off the goal line by Ahmed Jahouh. They did finally score the game's first goal of the game five minutes later.

Ritwik was once again at the center of things when he sent Daniel Chima through with a defense-splitting ball. But the Nigerian forward left the ball for Boris Singh, who found the bottom corner from a tight angle and gave JFC the deserved lead.

The league leaders were trailing and Des Buckingham needed a reaction from his players. He turned to his substitutes to tilt the game in their favor. The likes of Alberto Noguera, Rostyn Griffiths, and Vikram Singh came on for the Islanders.

With their unbeaten campaign on the line, Mumbai's two trusted wingers, Bipin and Chhangte, combined to spring the Islanders into life. Bipin Singh out-muscled Laldinliana Renthlei on the edge of the Jamshedpur box before threading a low cross into the middle. Chhangte turned himself into the man of the moment as he steered the ball past TP Rehenesh and restored parity in the 80th minute.

86' | GOOOAALLLL!!!

VIKRAM GIVES US THE LEAD!

Vikram receives the ball on the right and attempts the shot which goes above Rehenesh and into the back of the net!

JFC 1⃣-2⃣ MCFC

#JFCMCFC #MumbaiCity #AamchiCity🔵 https://t.co/ZMxajDF0fc

Mumbai City were definitely not in the mood to settle for a point as they pushed for a winner. The goal came in the 86th minute when Vikram Singh received the ball on the right and his poorly attempted cross looped over Rehenesh's head and into the back of the net.

For Mumbai City and Des Buckingham, the way the winning goal came didn't matter as they extended their winning run to 11 matches.

With the victory, Mumbai City are now seven points clear of second-placed Hyderabad FC, who still have a game in hand. Meanwhile, the Red Miners have just nine points on the board after 16 matches.