Jamshedpur (Jharkhand) [India], February 3 : Jamshedpur FC head coach Khalid Jamil expressed his delight after his side secured a stunning 3-1 victory against in-form FC Goa in the Indian Super League (ISL) at the JRD Tata Sports Complex in Jamshedpur, according to an ISL official statement.
The Men of Steel started strong and took a quick two-goal lead in the first half, courtesy of goals from Lazar Cirkovic and Javier Siverio.
In the 34th minute, Serbian defender Cirkovic broke the deadlock with a jaw-dropping strike from the edge of the box that found the top right corner.
Three minutes later, FC Goa's goalkeeper, Hrithik Tiwari, failed to collect Mohammed Sanan's powerful attempt from close range. The loose ball fell to Siverio, and the Spanish forward made no mistake in slotting it into the back of the net.
Despite Ayush Chhetri pulling one back for the visitors just before half-time, Siverio restored Jamshedpur FC's two-goal lead in the 68th minute with a headed strike, marking his third brace in the ISL.
With this clinical victory at The Furnace, Jamshedpur FC extended their unbeaten home run to six games and ended FC Goa's 12-match unbeaten streak.
Jamil praised his players' work rate and fighting spirit, which earned them three crucial points and propelled them to second place in the points table.
"Yes, everybody worked very hard. Because of the players, we got this result. They must continue in the same spirit," Jamil said in the post-match press conference.
Looking ahead, the Jamshedpur FC head coach urged his team to maintain their momentum as they prepare to face Bengaluru FC in an away fixture on February 9.
"Yes, team spirit was good. We must continue like this. We are going to play an away game. So, we must keep it up, and we must think about the next game," Jamil said as quoted from ISL.
The Men of Steel jumped to the second spot and are nine points behind Mohun Bagan SG with a game in hand.
Jamshedpur FC's supporters turned up in huge numbers at the Furnace to cheer for the home side. Jamil thanked the fans for the continuous support and acknowledged that it played a pivotal role in claiming all three points against a strong team like FC Goa.
"Yes, we are very thankful to them. They are supporting all the players," he remarked.
"Players are also working very hard because of the fans. They (fans) are supporting the team. That is also one of the reasons we are getting the result," Jamil signed off.
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