Jamshedpur FC was in a strong position to win its match of the Indian Super League 2020-21 season after Nerijus Valskis' double put it 2-0 up at half-time against Odisha FC. However, a red card to JFC goalkeeper T.P. Rehenesh in the 74th minute turned the match around as OFC substitute Diego Mauricio scored twice to earn a 2-2 draw for his team.
The draw saw Jamshedpur and Odisha momentarily remain ninth and tenth in the table before moving eighth and ninth following Chennaiyin FC and Kerala Blasters' 0-0 draw in the second match of the day.
Here are the biggest moments of a topsy-turvy match:
Valskis - The Goal Machine
ISL Golden Boot holder Nerijus Valskis opened his season account with a goal in the 2-1 defeat against Chennaiyin FC. Unlike that opening match, Jamshedpur looked hungry for goals as it repeatedly made forays into the opposition box and its star forward led by an example. Valskis was ruthless in converting his chances. He shot twice from close range early on and in the 12th minute his strike hit Gaurav Bora's forearm resulting in a penalty which the Lithuanian calmly slotted home.
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He pressed the Odisha defenders whenever there was a chance and in one such instance he pounced on a terrible backpass by Shubham Sarangi and blasted it past the keeper to double his side's lead. The goal put Valskis first on the top-scorers list above FC Goa's Igor Angulo and NorthEast United's Kewsi Appiah.
Rehenesh's moment of madness costs Jamshedpur
Jamshedpur FC goalkeeper T.P. Rehenesh didn't have much to do in the first half as Odisha FC was unable to muster up a meaningful attack. The keeper did well in the second half when he was called into action. He punched away a free kick by Marcelinho early on and then made an excellent save to palm away Manuel Onwu's acrobatic effort.
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However, in a moment of lapse, he charged out of his area to take away the ball from Diego Mauricio which saw him handle the ball outside the area. His red card changed the complexion of the game as Odisha FC clawed back from two goals down to steal a point.
Diego Mauricio lifts Odisha FC
After a tepid opening game against Hyderabad FC where he was unable to get past defenders, Diego Mauricio gave Odisha's attack a fresh impetus when he came on for Onwu in the 59th minute. He sent a thunderous free-kick soon after Rehenesh's sending off and made no mistake when Jacob Tratt crossed into the box as he poked it over the keeper to bring Odisha back into the game.
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The second goal in the third minute of the injury time was a thing of beauty. After receiving a pass on the edge of the box, the Brazilian shifted the ball on to his right foot and curled a stunning strike into the top right corner to pull things level for Odisha.
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