Jamshedpur FC took a major step towards securing the Indian Super League (ISL) winner's Shield after a 5-1 win over Odisha FC at the Athletic Stadium in Bambolim. Daniel Cheema Chukwu (23', 26') took his season tally to nine goals with a goal in the first half, before Paul Ramfangzouwa (45+1') pulled one back for Odisha. However, goals from Ritwik Das (54'), Jordan Murray (71') and Ishan Pandita (87') ensured a sixth consecutive win for Owen Coyle's men.
With one match remaining between them and ATK Mohun Bagan, Jamshedpur will have to avoid defeat to win the league stage.
Odisha FC suffered a major setback at the start of the game after Aridai Cabrera suffered an injury. At the other end, Greg Stewart again played a major role in the first goal of the match as his free-kick hit the crossbar and fell to Daniel Cheema Chuku. The striker made no mistake in scoring the rebound.
Odisha FC managed to make things worse for themselves shortly after when Paul Ramfangjowa made a mistake in his own last third. Chuku added a second to his team by stealing the ball away from the midfielder. With their back against the wall, Odisha showed patience before the end of the half. They were able to cut JFC's lead in half thanks to a strike by Paul, who made amends for his previous error.
The second half saw more enthusiasm from Odisha FC as they tried to find an equalizer. However, it was Jamshedpur who found the back of the net through Ritwik Das. The winger strikes a chord with Stewart, lands on a through ball, and swings his shot to the bottom right corner.
The evening turned out to be a tough one for the OFC as Jordan Murray came on the scoresheet after coming off the bench. To make matters worse for Kino Garcia & Co., Jonathan was shown a second yellow card for non-player behavior that saw him walk off the field, reducing the team to 10-man. A late strike from Ishaan Pandita saw JFC score their fifth goal and secure a major victory.
The next outing for Jamshedpur FC will include a much-awaited table clash with ATK Mohun Bagan in the last league match of the season at the PJN Stadium on Monday. On the other hand, Odisha FC's season is over.