In the Durand Cup 2022, I-League heavyweight Mohammedan SC registered an emphatic 3-0 victory against a youthful Jamshedpur FC side at the Kishore Bharati Stadium in Kolkata on Sunday (August 21). Faslu Rahman opened the scoring for the Black Panthers in the first half, while Abhishek Halder and S.K. Faiaz closed out the tie after the break.
In their previous match, the ISL Shield winners had a close-fought contest but went down 1-2 to Bengaluru FC. Meanwhile, the Kolkata giants picked up a 3-1 win over defending Durand Cup champions FC Goa.
In the opening exchanges, Mohammedan dominated the proceedings and maintained possession in the opposition half. However, it was Vinil Poojary who came closest to scoring for JFC in the first 30 minutes of the game.
In the 38th minute, Sairuat Kima's initial attempt from Faiaz's corner was blocked by the JFC goalkeeper. However, Faslu was there at the right moment to tap home the rebound. After the first 45, the Black Panthers had 52% possession with 12 shots, including five on target.
Mohammedan SC continued to dominate proceedings in the second half against Jamshedpur FC
Coming out after the break, Mohammedan continued their dominance as JFC crumbled under pressure and lost possession on multiple occasions. In the 64th minute, Abhishek Halder came close to doubling the lead, however, the midfielder scuffed his effort over the crossbar.
However, minutes later, in the 71st minute, Halder rectified his earlier miss to make it 2-0 for Mohammedan SC. Marcus Joseph combined brilliantly with Abhishek, who provided a deft touch to bury the ball into the net.
Three minutes later, Faiaz added the third goal of the night. Joseph yet again turned provider as the goal from the youngster sent the crowd in Kolkata in a frenzy.
Late in the half, Joseph could've added a goal to his tally but his shot sailed high over the bar. Faiaz and Halder continued to rule the roost in the opposition's final third until the referee's final whistle.
Next up, Mohammedan will be hoping to continue their winning streak against the Indian Air Force, while Jamshedpur FC will be eyeing their first win of the tournament when they face a youthful FC Goa side.