Jamshedpur (Jharkhand) [India], January 18 : Jamshedpur FC head coach Khalid Jamil commended his players' effort as the Men of Steel held table-toppers Mohun Bagan Super Giant by a 1-1 scoreline in the Indian Super League (ISL) at the JRD Tata Sports Complex in Jamshedpur on Friday.
The Mariners broke the deadlock in the opening half courtesy of Subhasish Bose's backheel goal inside the opponent's box. However, the hosts bounced back strong in the second half thanks to Stephen Eze's spectacular finish at the hour mark. The Nigerian defender attempted a darting run, edging past the Mariners' defence line with ease and producing a powerful finish to bring the Men of Steel back in the game. With that, Eze scored his sixth goal in the ISL and his second of the ongoing season.
Despite the visitors generating numerous chances in the final phase of the game, Albino Gomes' crucial saves and resilient Jamshedpur FC defense line led by Eze helped Khalid Jamil's men secure a crucial point against the Mariners.
The Jamshedpur FC head coach shared his delight with his team's response after conceding and underscored the significance of getting a crucial point against a formidable foe like Mohun Bagan SG.
"Yes (happy about the game). We got a point that is also good because we played against a good team, attacking-wise," Jamil said in the post-match press conference.
"They have quality players in all departments; whether defensive or attacking, they are very strong. They are doing well in the league. We came back again; that is a good point," he added.
The hosts made a couple of changes at the start of the second half that changed the dimension of the game. Jamil brought in Javier Siverio, Seiminlen Doungel, and Mobashir Rahman in place of Sourav Das, Imran Khan, and Lazar Cirkovic. Jamil believed that these changes worked well and played a pivotal role in leveling the scoreline.
Speaking in context, Jamil remarked, "We made the substitutions according to the situation because we thought that we conceded an early goal, and it was our home ground, so we tried to use two strikers; we put (Javier) Siverio in, and Imran (Khan) got injured, so that is why we bring in Seiminlen (Doungel). That's why we made the changes, and we put Mobashir (Rahman) in because he can play long balls. His long ball is good. And the only reason is to come back and bounce back."
The Indian head coach also acknowledged that his team could have scored the winner considering the time they had after equalising in the second half.
"We scored an early equalizer (in the second half), so I thought to come for another, maybe for another goal, maybe to get the three points, but it is all right sometimes. But I am very happy with the performance of the players; they are working very hard. They must keep the spirit like this," Jamil concluded.