ISL 2024-25: Odisha FC extend unbeaten run with 2-1 win over 10-man East Bengal

Kolkata, Dec 12 (IANS) Jerry Mawihmingthanga and Hugo Boumous 81 scored a goal each in the second half as Odisha FC overcame a 10-man East Bengal FC 2-1 in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan Stadium, here on Thursday. With this win, the Juggernauts extended their unbeaten streak this season to five games.

All three goals of the match came in the second half, with Mawihmingthanga and Boumous netting in the 55th and the 81st minutes of the game respectively, after the Red & Gold Brigade found their only strike through Lal Chungnunga in the 53rd minute. East Bengal FC were reduced to 10 men in the 43rd minute due to Jeakson Singh’s sending-off.

The two sides shared the honours in the opening moments of the match. Nandhakumar Sekar embarked on an ambitious solo run from the right flank in the 23rd minute, dazzling into the box and holding his shape before making a terrific effort at goal, but was denied by an outstretched Amrinder Singh.

Seven minutes later, Ahmed Jahouh’s free-kick inside the East Bengal FC box, directed to Mourtada Fall, reached the towering defender, but he ended up heading the ball off-target. Odisha FC continued exerting attack and a passage of end-to-end action unfolded with both teams offering each other abundant space at the back.

One such move saw the trio of Isak Vanlalruatfela, Boumous, and Jerry interlink seamlessly inside the East Bengal FC penalty area in the 36th minute. Isak surged ahead on the wing and found Boumous ahead of him. The attacking midfielder crossed the ball to Jerry whose shot was kept at bay by Prabhsukhan Singh Gill. East Bengal FC were dealt with a blow in the 43rd minute when Jeakson Singh was sent off for accumulating his second yellow card of the game. He fouled Diego Mauricio and the home side was thus reduced to 10 men, handing a numerical advantage to the Juggernauts.

To their credit, East Bengal FC grabbed the first lead in the contest despite that, as Lal Chungnunga pounced upon a crowded Odisha FC box following a corner kick to smash the ball into the centre of the net in the 53rd minute, as the Juggernauts’ defence was unable to clear their lines in time. They, however, got back in shape especially in their offensive movements thereafter, as Isak switched flanks to operate from the right briefly and helped his side discover a breakthrough.

His run wasn’t stopped by the East Bengal FC defence and that resulted in him delivering a decisive pass to Jerry, who was positioned on the right side of the box and sliced the ball into the top right corner of the net with a sublime finish to equalise the scores.

Odisha FC resumed operating on the offence as a consequence of this and got their hands on the second goal with a joint effort by Mauricio and Boumous.

Mauricio had donned a free-flowing role upfront and that meant he shifted slightly on the left, drawing defenders towards him and opening up space in the middle. In one such move, he made his way into the box, before squaring up a timely pass for the onrushing Boumous, who hammered the ball home to get the visitors the important lead and sealed the three points in their favour.

East Bengal FC will play their next game against Punjab FC on December 17, whereas Odisha FC will feature against Mohammedan SC on December 27.

–IANS

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