Hyderabad held to a goalless draw by Jamshedpur

Vasco, Goa: Hyderabad FC played out their second 0-0 draw in three games as they registered their sixth stalemate of the season, against Jamshedpur FC, on a windy evening, at the Tilak Maidan in Vasco. The hosts were saved their blushes by TP Rehenesh in the first half, as the JFC shot-stopper pulled out a couple of huge saves to keep his side in the game and win a point.

Hyderabad missed a chance to move to the 3rd place, as they now have 18 points from their 13 league games and stand in the 4th place after Round 13.

Joel Chianese had the best chance of the game, as early as in the 9th minute, after Aridane Santana put him through with a perfect through ball. But the No. 7 failed to beat Rehenesh at the near post, who denied Hyderabad a dream start to the game.

Just over 10 minutes later, Halicharan Narzary was set free by Chianese on the left and the in-form winger took a low shot and almost found the far corner. However, the Jamshedpur shot-stopper was there yet again, as he palmed it on to the up-right and kept his side in the game.

The hosts had a couple of more scares but also came close from a Stephen Eze header just minutes before the break. Eze’s attempt hit Laxmikant Kattimani’s post as but both sides got to half-time unscathed.

The teams came out strongly after the break, and had a few decent moments in attack at both ends of the field. But constant fouls and stoppages meant that neither side managed to build any momentum throughout the night.

Aridane Santana got a half-chance 15 minutes from time but pulled his shot wide while Nerijus Valskis had a chance to win his side the game from a Farukh Choudhary cross in the 88th minute. His header was Jamshedpur’s first attempt on target and the only one all game.

Aridane put in an all-round performance, wining almost every aerial duel with the likes of Eze and Hartley in attack and with Valskis, in his own box from set-pieces. He was rightly awarded the ‘Hero of the Match’ on the night. But missed chances in the first half left Hyderabad with yet another draw.

Full-back Akash Mishra hardly put a foot wrong all game, made a darting run down the left, from which he almost scored, 80 minutes into the game. Hitesh Sharma controlled the midfield well without his usual partners while Chinglensana Singh and Odei Onaindia were also diligent with their defensive duties.

Hyderabad FC are back in action when they host Bengaluru FC at the Tilak Maidan in Vasco on Thursday, the 28th of January. /(January 25, 2021)