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Marco Pezzaiuoli’s Bengaluru FC side failed to register a win for a seventh game on the trot, after a 0-0 draw against Jamshedpur FC at the GMC Athletic Stadium in Bambolim on Monday. The result leaves Bengaluru FC in tenth place on the table, with six points from eight games, with their only win of the campaign so far coming in the opening weekend against NorthEast United FC.
Earlier, Pezzaiuoli rang in two changes to the side that took on ATK Mohun Bagan, with Suresh Wangjam back in contention following his one match suspension, while Udanta Singh replaced Jayesh Rane in the starting eleven. Jamshedpur FC, meanwhile, were pegged back ahead of kick-off when Lithuanian striker Nerijus Valskis pulled up with a hamstring injury and had to be replaced by Australian Jordan Murray in Owen Coyle’s starting eleven.
The Blues started brightly, with Udanta and Cleiton involved from the get go. With nine minutes on the clock, Udanta was set free by Ashique Kuruniyan down the left but the winger’s pass into the box was intercepted before it could reach its intended target. Silva’s whipped free-kick just shy of the half hour mark seemed to be heading goalward, but failed to trouble Jamshedpur FC custodian TP Rehenesh.
Rehenesh was called into action once again in the 39th minute when Ashique’s cross from the left flank was nodded goalward by Cleiton Silva, but the goalkeeper managed to tip it away. At the other end, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was forced to make a save of his own when Greg Stewart found space in the box and managed to pull the trigger.
Goalless and heading into the second period, the game continued to amble in midfield with Jamshedpur FC eking the Blues out for possession. In a bid to shuffle things up in attack, Pezzaiuoli rang in his first change of the evening, introducing Chhetri in place of Silva with less than 20 minutes left to play.
Efforts from Murray and Alex Lima were saved by Gurpreet, and only ten minutes later the Blues had their best chance of the evening when Ashique’s free-kick fell for Chhetri, but his effort came crashing back into play off the crossbar. Coyle made changes of his own as Ritwik Das and Ishan Pandita were introduced, before Bengaluru sent Rohit Kumar in place of Wangjam.
Deep into added time, Ibara had a chance to score when Rehenesh’s punch fell to the Congolese striker, but the latter’s attempt to catch the ‘keeper off his mark went wayward. A corner taken by Chhetri presented Bengaluru FC’s final effort on the night but despite its entry into what looked like a dangerous area, Jamshedpur FC managed to clear away and split the points on the night.
The Blues next face Chennaiyin FC at the Tilak Maidan on Thursday, December 30.
