Stojanovic's Late Strike Rescues Jamshedpur FC
Delhi: Nikola Stojanovic's dramatic late goal secured a 1-1 draw for Jamshedpur FC against Sporting Club Delhi in the ISL.
Jamshedpur FC drew 1-1 with Sporting Club Delhi in an ISL match, with Nikola Stojanovic scoring a late equaliser.
Joseph Sunny put SC Delhi ahead in the 21st minute before Stojanovic's late goal levelled the score.
The draw leaves Jamshedpur FC in second place in the ISL standings, impacting their bid to reach the top of the table.
Jamshedpur FC's Serbian midfielder Nikola Stojanovic struck a late equaliser to help his side salvage a 1-1 draw against Sporting Club Delhi in an Indian Super League match, though the result dented their bid to go top of the table due to the dropped points here.
Joseph Sunny gave the home side the lead in the 21st minute, but it was cancelled out by Stojanovic in the 90th minute as Jamshedpur FC breathed a sigh of relief at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in a late-evening match on Thursday.
Jamshedpur FC remain second in the standings with 13 points, while SC Delhi moved to 12th with two points.
Nora Fernandes, the SC Delhi goalkeeper, was called into action early as he thwarted a long cross free-kick from Stojanovic in the third minute, punching the ball clear at the last moment.
Both sides started aggressively, with SC Delhi midfielder Ousmane Fane testing Albino Gomes from distance, before Rei Tachikawa's long-range effort was comfortably saved at the other end by Nora Fernandes.
The home side took the lead in the 21st minute when a cross from SC Delhi captain Lamgoulen Semkholun was weakly punched by Gomes inside the penalty area. After a slight fumble by striker Matija Babovic, Sunny pounced on the loose ball and fired a left-footed shot into the top-left corner to put Delhi ahead.
Stojanovic continued to threaten from set-pieces, narrowly missing the target with a direct free-kick in the 18th minute before setting up Pronay Halder, whose header was blocked for a corner.
The second half began under heavy rainfall, with both teams struggling to create clear-cut chances.
Jamshedpur FC continued to push for an equaliser, with Stojanovic -- later named Player of the Match -- forcing a save from Nora Fernandes in the 81st minute as the visitors ramped up the pressure in the closing stages.
The breakthrough finally came with just 90 seconds remaining in regulation time, when Stojanovic struck from outside the box. His effort took the slightest of deflections before sneaking in at the near post to level the scores.
