In what turned out to be an evenly poised, but frustrating contest, Kerala Blasters FC settled for a goalless draw to Jamshedpur FC in the Indian Super League 2020-21, at the GMC Stadium in Goa, on Wednesday. With this draw, both the teams have risen a spot, to seventh and eighth, respectively.
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The opening half saw ten attacks from each, including three saves, while a couple of them came from Jamshedpur goalkeeper, Rehenesh TP. Blasters had three promising chances to score, only for the attempts from Gary Hooper, Jordan Murray and Lalthathanga Khawlhring hitting the bar post.
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The second half saw even more relentlessness from both, with 16 attacks being attempted. Meanwhile, this time, Jamshedpur tested the Blasters goalkeeper, as Albino Gomes came up with a couple of crucial saves to deny the former the lead, while both the sides settled for a point each at the end of the full-time whistle.
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Following the game, Jamshedpur boss, Owen Coyle credited Blasters' approach, besides hailing his boys to stay strong throughout. "We were quite comfortable in the game. The 15 minutes at the end of the first half belonged to Kerala. Not taking anything away from our opponent, but we gifted chances too. We lost a few games on the bounce. We really wanted a win, but a point keeps us in the hunt for a playoff spot. We missed our skipper (Peter Hartley). (Nerijus) Valskis is a No. 9. He had a great chance early on, but unfortunately, he was not able to finish it. If you look at our games, he's very influential. Maybe, if quality of crosses improve, he will be back to form in no time. I think we could've played better. My players p; Iorm well under pressure, I back them," he said.
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Meanwhile, Blasters striker, Jordan Murray vented his frustrations at the missed chances, as he reckoned, "It's probably the most frustrating game I've ever played as a centre forward. I don't know what to say. But, missing so many chances were bad. We've started believing a little more. We were unlucky early on. It's obviously about winning games convincingly. But, those draws and 1-0 wins give us hope. If we look at the reverse leg, we had to chase the game, but still won. However, this time we were on top. Both Gary (Hooper) and myself were constant threats upfront. It was tricky to not have our gaffer (Kibu Vicuna) on the touchline. We talked about that before the game. But, we have a team which can adapt to any situation."
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