SC East Bengal (SCEB) and Jamshedpur proved inseparable in squandering and utilising chances as they began their campaigns with a 1-1 draw in the Indian Super League at the Tilak Maidan Stadium on Sunday.
Croatian Franjo Prce opened the account for East Bengal early on in the first half before Englishman Peter Hartley struck the equaliser in added time.
The way the two teams found the target was also similar as the centre-backs — Prce and Hartley — provided the finish off corner kicks.
East Bengal drew first blood in the 17th minute when Croatian striker Antonio Perosevic set up Prce on the goalmouth after collecting a clearance from JFC goalkeeper T.P. Rehenesh following a corner. Prce’s volley deflected home after hitting the head of JFC’s Lithuanian forward Nerijus Valskis.
The Kolkata side looked to have doubled the lead in the 33rd minute but Perosevic’s effort was ruled off-side.
Jamshedpur tried to claw back into the game in the final few minutes of the opening half and found a corner in the second minute of injury time.
Alexandre Lima sent a superb floater to Valskis, who headed it down to Hartley. The Englishman nodded the ball past the ’keeper to pull Jamshedpur level.
The second half saw both teams produce a couple of chances, but couldn’t get it right in the final third.
The result: East Bengal 1 (Franjo Prce 17) drew with Jamshedpur FC 1 (Peter Hartley 45+2).
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