Diamond Harbour stun Jamshedpur FC with 2-0 Durand Cup win
Debutants Diamond Harbour FC shocked Jamshedpur FC 2-0 in the Durand Cup quarterfinal, with Ruatkima’s first-half brace and disciplined defence sealing one of the tournament’s biggest upsets in Jamshedpur
Hyderabad: In a stunning quarterfinal, Diamond Harbour FC delivered one of the biggest shocks with a 2-0 win against Jamshedpur FC in the Durand Cup at the JRD Tata Sports Complex in Jamshedpur on Sunday.
Inspired by a brilliant first-half brace from Ruatkima and backed by an outstanding defensive performance, the debutants from Bengal outclassed their ISL opponents, leaving the home side and their fans stunned.
While JFC dominated possession and threw everything forward in the second half, Diamond Harbour’s composure, discipline, and counter-attacking threat saw them hold on for a famous victory.
The quarterfinal clash saw Diamond Harbour FC take a stunning early lead, rattling the confident home side. Just three minutes in, Ruatkima capitalised on a set-piece. A long throw unsettled JFC’s defence, leaving him unmarked to slide home the opener.
Diamond Harbour continued to dictate the tempo. A flowing move involving Luka Majcen and Jobby Justin culminated in Paul unleashing a powerful long-range effort, though it lacked accuracy and failed to trouble Jamshedpur’s keeper Amrit Gope.
As JFC struggled to find cohesion in midfield, chances began to dry up.
Around the 40th minute, Ruatkima struck again on the counter. Samuel lofted a cross from the right flank, it deflected into Ruatkima’s path, and he volleyed it clinically into the net, doubling Diamond Harbour’s advantage and silencing the home crowd.
At half-time, Diamond Harbour looked unstoppable. Their fluid interplay, particularly through Jobby Justin and Halicharan Narzary, posed a persistent threat, although Jobby’s heavier touch denied them a further goal. Meanwhile, Jamshedpur, under interim coach Steven Dias, looked shell-shocked. Despite home advantage, they lacked sharpness in the final third.
Trailing 0-2 after Ruatkima’s brace, Jamshedpur FC flew out of the blocks after the restart and piled on sustained pressure, but Diamond Harbour’s defensive shape held firm. VP Suhair teed up Sarthak Golui, whose floated delivery flashed across the six-yard area with no takers as the hosts showed intent early in the half.
In the end, Diamond Harbour FC scripted one of the standout results of the Durand Cup so far, holding their ground with remarkable discipline to seal a famous 2-0 win and announce themselves as genuine contenders in the competition.
The result: Quarterfinal – Diamond Harbour FC 2 (Ruatkima 3’, 41’) bt Jamshedpur FC 0.
