Draw-meister Jamshedpur gave up

It was a must-win game for Jamshedpur but fans who expected an action-packed entertainer were treated to a non-award winning melodrama...

Going into Saturday's Indian Super League (ISL) match against Chennaiyin FC at the Marina Arena, Jamshedpur FC knew that nothing less than three points will do in the race for the playoffs.

It was a must-win game for Cesar Ferrando's team and hence, a slow start to the game was perplexing. In the end, the game ended without goals and thus ended Jamshedpur's hopes of making it into the playoffs.

Qualification was not in their hands as the Men of Steel needed NorthEast United to lose their final match against Kerala Blasters but the lack of intent and impact in the game, against Chennaiyin who are at the bottom of the table and out of the playoff scenario, does not put the coach or the players in a good light. If you are a travelling Jamshedpur fan, you definitely left the stadium dejected.

Jamshedpur's soulless performance gave them their ninth draw of the season. They now have played more stalemates in a season than any other team in the history of ISL, beating ATK's record of eight draws in 2016.

There were very few clear-cut chances for both teams but in a couple of instances Jamshedpur went close in the first half and Karanjit Singh pulled off magnificent saves to deny Mario Arques and Sergio Cidoncha from close-range.

Isaac Vanmalsawma blocked Carlos Calvo's free-kick with his hands inside the box within minutes after the restart but the referee failed to spot it and give Jamshedpur a penalty which was a gift that Cesar Ferrando would have gladly accepted.

Chennaiyin's display in the attacking third lacked conviction. A 79th-minute move ended with four Chennaiyin players inside the Jamshedpur box that had three defenders and yet, the hosts failed to find the net, summing up their bizarre season and the night's performance in one move.

Two wrongs do not make a right, a thought that sprung to mind as the linesman raised the flag to rule Michael Soosairaj offside. The coaching staff and the players had begun celebrating what they thought was a late match-winner but the second-half substitute had clearly strayed offside and it was the correct decision by the assistant referee.

There were times during the start of the season when Jamshedpur, led by the brilliance of Mario Arques and Memo in midfield and Sergio Cidoncha in attack, looked like real contenders for the playoff but as matches went by, the threat diminished and in the end, huffed and puffed before being doused by John Gregory's men.

Two feats were achieved in one night - Jamshedpur's ninth draw and thanks to that, NorthEast United's first ever entry into the playoffs. Sadly though, the football game was one to forget.