ISL 2021-22: Sahal leads Kerala Blasters to win against Jamshedpur in semifinal first leg

Sandeep Shetty/Focus Sports/ ISL

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Kerala Blasters inched closer to a place in the final with a 1-0 victory over Jamshedpur FC courtesy a Sahal Abdul Samad goal in the first leg of the 2021-22 ISL semifinal at the Fatorda on Friday.

Sahal scored in the 38th minute to hand Kerala the lead and it could have been 2-0 but Adrian Luna's knuckleball free-kick cannoned off the woodwork. Kerala's defence was rock-solid too, withstanding the initial threat from Jamshedpur with Marko Leskovic leading from the front. League Shield winners Jamshedpur looked off-colour upfront with Daniel Chima Chukwu spurning two gilt-edged chances in the first half and Greg Stewart not registering a touch in the opposition box for the first time this season.

The second leg, on Tuesday (March 15), will be the decider but Kerala will go into the tie with an advantage.

Jamshedpur started on the front foot with Chima missing a golden opportunity to draw first blood early on from close after Len Doungel headed down a T.P. Rehenesh freekick from deep inside their own half only for the in-form Nigerian to fire a volley wide.

Chima got another chance to atone for his mistake, Pranoy Halder doing well to win the ball from Puitea and set the Nigerian up but the seasoned striker shot wide after beating his marker. Meanwhile, it was heartbreak for Len as he picked up an injury and had to be replaced with Mobashir Rahman. Mobashir was in the thick of things almost immediately, shooting wide of the the near post from a Stewart free-kick. It was a routine that was right off the training ground, with a cheeky layoff for an unmarked Mobashir to cross from the right flank but he decided to try his luck himself, to no avail.

Alvaro Vazquez once again underlined his class skill to first spot Sahal making a run and then play a delightful ball over the top to him which Ricky Lallawmawma tried to clear but instead made it easier for Sahal to collect the ball and dink it over an advancing Rehenesh.

The second half got off to a slow start before Adrian Luna's free-kick came off the inside of the post after T.P. Rehenesh got a glove to it just a minute before the hour-mark. At the other end, Ritwik Das -- who scored the winner against ATK Mohun Bagan to help his side win the League Shield -- sent an effort over the bar after Stewart and substitute Jordan Murray combined well in the final third.

With three minutes left on the clock, Ishan Pandita skewed an effort from close wide.