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Jamshedpur FC head coach Khalid Jamil expressed his delight with the effort of his players in their win over NorthEast United FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong, the league's official website reported.
The visitors arrived with a well-designed game plan and executed it flawlessly, sealed a 2-0 win and secured a spot in the semi-finals with a win in Knockout 2 of the Indian Super League (ISL). NorthEast United FC dominated and threatened in the early exchanges. But Jamshedpur FC absorbed the pressure and patiently waited for opportunities to attack on the counter. Their patience eventually paid off near the half-hour mark. Stephen Eze capitalized on Ashutosh Mehta's long throw-in and found the ball into the net. Eze's strike marked Jamshedpur's fifth goal from a throw-in this season, the most by any team. Jamshedpur FC held onto their lead at halftime and remained disciplined in defence throughout the second half to repel NorthEast United's relentless attacks. Javi Hernandez put the final nail in the coffin and sealed the victory deep into stoppage time, ensuring their place in the final four "It is a very important victory. The players worked very hard. Whatever result we got today is because of the players," Jamil said at the post-match press conference as quoted from ISL. The Highlanders got the better of Jamshedpur FC in both league-phase encounters, first with a commanding 5-0 home victory, followed by a 2-0 triumph in the return fixture. However, the Men of Steel, despite coming into this fixture on the back of a dwindling run of form, displayed resilience and determination. Their experience and well-implemented tactics proved decisive as they now gear up for a semi-final showdown against League Shield winners Mohun Bagan Super Giant. "I said before that this is the type of game where we need experienced players. Look at how Pronay (Halder), Eze, Javi, Ashutosh (Mehta), Jordan (Murray), Mobashir (Rahman), and (Muhammed) Uvais also used their experience," Jamil stated. "Albino (Gomes) also used his experience from the start. So it was all about experience. Because if you don't use your experience, you are always under pressure," he added. Apart from his stunning strike in the first half, the Nigerian centre-back, Eze, was a commanding presence in the defense line. He registered 11 clearances and six interceptions, which highlighted the impact he had on the game. Jamil was quick to point out Pronay Halder's impact and solid support, seamlessly slotting into the centre-back role in Pratik Chaudhari's absence. Halder matched Eze's defensive output with 11 clearances of his own. "Eze had a good understanding with Pronay. Pronay also played a major role today defensively," he commented. (ANI)
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