Raynier Fernandes rocket sets up Mumbai City win against Jamshedpur

Raynier Fernandes rocket sets up Mumbai City win against Jamshedpur

Raynier Fernandes came off the bench to score a stunning goal as Mumbai City beat Jamshedpur 2-1 on Thursday at the JRD Sports Complex. 

Paulo Machado (15′) scored from a free-kick and Tiri (37′) headed in from a corner before Raynier (56′) came up with a match-winner off the bench. 

Both sides failed to keep the ball in the opening minutes, with shabby displays in midfield ensuring that the ball changed feet very quickly.

Jamshedpur created the first big chance of the game in the sixth minute as Piti found Farukh Chaudhary in acres of space on the right flank. The winger forced a delivery into the box but Amrinder Singh managed to parry it away before making a save against CK Vineeth’s shot.

However, the visitors were the first to score, with Machado stunning the crowd with an unexpected free-kick effort. The Portuguese midfielder went for goal from a tight angle and beat goalkeeper Subrata Paul at his near post. 

The opening goal was followed by a lengthy period of dominance by the home side. Piti and Farukh kept Mumbai’s defence on their toes and the latter came agonisingly close to scoring when he latched on to Tiri’s defence-splitting pass but missed the far post by inches.

There were signs of an equaliser before the break and Tiri scored in the 38th minute to restore parity. The defender beat Rowllin Borges to Piti’s delivery from a corner and beat Amrinder to make it 1-1.

The hosts started the second half with the same intensity as that of the first. But yet again, Mumbai were more clinical as they scored from their first chance of the half.

Machado played the ball to Modou Sougou, who cushioned it for Fernandes with his first touch. The substitute unleashed a cracker of a shot to put his side ahead for the second time in the night.

Jamshedpur enjoyed a good share of the possession for the remainder of the game but were unable to produce the killer final pass that would have put them back into the game.

They came closest in the 70th minute when Farukh, Vineeth and Isaac Vanmalsawma wasted a triple chance and let the Mumbai defence off the hook.