ISL: Odisha continue surge, edge past Punjab 1-0

New Delhi: Odisha FC kept their third consecutive clean sheet and extended their unbeaten streak in all competitions to 10 games to secure a 1-0 victory over Punjab FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi in the Indian Super League (ISL) on Tuesday.

Odisha rode on an early opener by Fijian forward Roy Krishna as the home side fell short of building upon their maiden victory they notched last week against Chennaiyin FC. 

The visitors held the major chunk of the possession as they outclassed the opponents at the centre of the park to maintain their assertiveness in the flow of play across both halves. 

The goal came in the 21st minute. Young winger Isak Vanlalruatfela set up the winner for Krishna from very close range and the former Bengaluru FC star didn’t blink twice before depositing the ball into the back of the net.

That was followed by Mauricio hitting on target, as he scrapped through a tight situation to shoot from a difficult angle in the 27th minute, but the home side kept that effort at bay. 

Punjab too had their chances, with Samuel Kynshi and Madih Talal joining hands to take shots at the Odisha defence. However, a strong backline guarded by a seasoned goalkeeper in Amrinder Singh, who now has 44 clean sheets in his ISL career, ensured that the home team caused little damage to their winning prospects.