ISL 2020:21: If we had 11 players on the pitch, we could have won the match against Mumbai – Owen Coyle

A resilient performance from Jamshedpur FC saw them steal a point against table-toppers Mumbai City FC in the 28th match of the ISL at the GMC Stadium, Bambolim on Monday. Jamshedpur FC took the lead in the ninth minute of the game when their talisman Nerijus Valkis found the back of the net. Bartholomew Ogbeche played a lazy and poor back pass which was quickly intercepted by Jackichand Singh.

Singh then provided Valskis with the assist to help his team take the lead. However, Jamshedpur could only keep their lead for six minutes as Bartholomew Ogbeche equalized for Mumbai City FC in the 15th minute.

Meanwhile, Jamshedpur was put on the backfoot when Aitor Monroy was sent off for a second yellow card in the 28th minute of the game. Subsequently, Jamshedpur FC were reduced to 10 men and had a tough task of keeping Mumbai at bay. The club’s head coach Owen Coyle believes his team could have won the match if they had 11 players on the pitch.

“It was outstanding in terms of the spirit. If we had 11 players on the pitch, we could have won the game. That is why we have that game plan,” Coyle said in the post-match press conference.

This was the fifth consecutive match when Jamshedpur hasn’t been defeated. Coyle’s team has won a solitary match out of the six they have played whereas four matches have been drawn and they have lost one match.

“Mumbai are a wonderful team; that is why they are on top of the league for a reason. But we have shown that we can go toe-to-toe with the best teams. We are five games unbeaten and moving in the right direction,” the Jamshedpur head coach said. 

On the other hand, Coyle heaped praise on Nerijus Valskis, who scored his sixth goal of the season to be the joint leading goal-scorer of the seventh season.

Jamshedpur FC will next lock horns with NorthEast United FC at Tilak Maidan Stadium on 18th December.