Javi Hernandez and Ritwik Das recreated their magic from the eliminator to stun Mohun Bagan at home in the first leg of their ISL semifinal. Jamshedpur took the lead via Javier Siverio in the 24th minute, Jason Cummings equalised in the 38th before Das teed up Hernandez for the winner in the 91st minute.
The match started on unexpected lines with both teams fielding attacking XIs that left plenty of gaps for the other to exploit and there were a bunch of chances at both ends. Jamshedpur were edging it, though, and their pressure told via a traditional Khalid Jamil route. Muhammad Uvais flung in a long throw that was headed on by big Stephen Eze, and at the far post, Siverio snuck in ahead of Liston Colaco at the far post to tap it in. The header on from Eze was a stunner - under pressure from three in Bagan white, the centre back managed to find power and direction for the assist.
The goal prompted Bagan to attack more, and in minute 33, Alberto Rodriguez thundered a header at goal that bounced off the underside of the crossbar, off the back of keeper Albino Gomes with the keeper having to recover quickly before Subhasish got a chance to poach yet another goal. The pressure, though, told in the 37th minute, Cummings was brought down by Ashutosh Mehta as he bore down on goal. It was only a yellow since Pranoy Halder was in close attendance, but Cummings would make Mehta and Jamshedpur pay. From 25 yards out, he stepped up himself to curl it into the top corner. It was a superb finish that simply couldn't be kept out.
In the second half, it was all Bagan - but with Jamshedpur locking down their defensive third, their possession was in areas that didn't cause the home side any trouble. That was reflected in the stats: 73% possession translated to 14 shots, but only 3 of those were on target. A Halder interception exemplified this - throwing himself sideways to deflect a through ball that seemed destined to give substitute Dimi Petratos a free shot at goal.
Meanwhile, on the counter, Jamshedpur posed a threat -- and in the first minute of added on time after the 90, Ritwik led a counter that manifested the threat. Moving quickly down the left, he squared up Asish Rai before teeing up Hernandez with a perfectly weighted ball. Running onto it, the playmaker stroked it home with unerring accuracy. It was a finish as magnificent as it was nerveless. A packed JRD Tata stadium, a place they call 'the Furnace', exploded in joy, while Jamil sprinted to celebrate with his players.
"We played with heart", said Hernandez after the match. "The players worked so hard," said Jamil. Both were on point.
The result means they travel to Kolkata for the second leg on April 7 with a goal advantage over the league shield winners. They will have worries -- Mehta and Eze will both be suspended after picking up yellows -- but the first leg has shown Jamshedpur that they can more than hold their own against the juggernauts that are Bagan.