Indian Super League 2020-21: Jamshedpur go down to NorthEast 2-0

The horrid start of the new year for Jamshedpur FC continued as the new year continued as they handed them their third-straight loss at Sunday's Tilak Maidan Stadium in the seventh Indian Super League (ISL) edition.

It came against NEUFC this time, who rode on Ashutosh Mehta's goals and on either side of half-time to take the game 2-1. In the match's dying minutes, Peter Hartley did pull one back for Jamshedpur, but it was not enough.

NEUFC moved to fifth place with 15 points from 12 games with this victory, while Owen Coyle's men dropped to eighth.

From the very word go, NEUFC, who sacked Gerard Nus after their last game against Bengaluru FC, dominated as the team put on a brilliant display under coach Khalid Jamil.

NEUFC had the first chance to score as soon as the eight minutes of the game, but Luis Machado struggled to cross the ball to Federico Gallego standing in front of the goal and hit it straight to TP Rehenesh, the JFC goalkeeper. They had several opportunities after the hat, but Jamshepur kept on, and the score remained goalless.

NEUFC did not lose heart, and it was Mehta who eventually broke the deadlock in the 36th minute. It was the Highlanders' third corner of the game, and Gallego delivered at the near post an inch-perfect cross and Ashutosh made no mistake in heading the ball into the net to score his first ISL goal. As Mehta was unchallenged when he went for the header, it was helped by weak defending from JFC defenders.

Coyle made three replacements after the break, but Jamshedpur struggled to make any incursions into the NEUFC box.

On the other hand, Brown, who came on as a substitute, had an immediate impact on the game as he tried to chip the ball over Rehenesh's head into the net but instead played it into his hands.

However, he didn't have to wait too long to score as he doubled the lead for NEUFC in the 61st minute. Isaac Vanmalsawma of JFC lost the ball in his half this time, and Gallego played a beautiful pass through Brown and made no mistake to bring it in the net past the JFC goalkeeper.

While NEUFC continued to dominate, Jamshedpur had their share of opportunities that they failed to convert. Nerijus Valskis had a great chance in the 72nd minute as the goal kick from NEUFC goalkeeper Subhasish Roy Chowdhury went straight to the Lithuanian striker. Still, he hit the ball directly to the 'keeper.Valskis, who also had a great chance early in the game, missed another chance in the extra minutes as he drove Hartley's cross over the crossbar.

Not just Valskis, it was an overall bad showing from the Steel Men, and after the end of the match, they looked distraught.