ISL : Manoj Mohammad's Late Goal Earn 1-1 Draw For Hyderabad Against East Bengal

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Manoj Mohammed's 90th-minute strike allowed Hyderabad FC to salvage a 1-1 draw against East Bengal FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 at the G.M.C. Balayogi Athletic Stadium on Saturday evening.

Hyderabad FC enjoyed a dominant 56.7% of the ball and recorded an impressive passing accuracy of 87%, far exceeding East Bengal's 74%.

However, their perseverance paid off only in the dying moments, denying the Red & Gold Brigade, who were riding a two-game winning streak, a third consecutive victory.

The home team launched the first attack just two minutes into the match, with Isaac Vanmalsawma combining neatly with Joseph Sunny in the attacking third. Joseph received a well-placed pass from Isaac and, rather than opting for further build-up, tried his luck with a long-range strike that was promptly blocked by the East Bengal defense.

Hyderabad maintained the pressure in the initial stages, forcing Hijazi Maher to concede a corner in the 11th minute. From the resulting set piece, Manoj Mohammed attempted a header from the center of the box, narrowly missing the goal as the ball flew wide to the right.

The match turned into a cautious contest, with both sides struggling to carve out clear opportunities. Corners and free-kicks were frequent but yielded little, until Edmilson Correia came close in the 41st minute. After receiving a pass from Isaac on the left edge of the box, he adjusted his position and unleashed a powerful shot that grazed the woodwork on its way out.

Correia threatened again early in the second half, connecting with a pass from Cy Goddard inside the box. Despite being in an excellent scoring position, his effort drifted wide of the target.

The breakthrough came in the 64th minute through a brilliant set-piece. Cleiton Silva's free-kick, awarded after Dimitrios Diamantakos earned a foul, rattled the crossbar before Jeakson Singh capitalized on the rebound, slotting the ball into the net to give East Bengal a hard-fought lead.

Hyderabad refused to back down, intensifying their efforts in search of an equalizer. Late substitutes Lenny Rodrigues and Devendra Murgaonkar, introduced in the 85th minute, injected fresh energy into the team. Murgaonkar made an immediate impact, attempting a shot from outside the box after being set up by Abdul Rabeeh. Though off-target, it signaled the home side's increasing intent.

In the 90th minute, Hyderabad's persistence paid off. Correia orchestrated a swift attacking move, opting to pass the ball to Manoj Mohammed on the left side of the penalty area. Manoj displayed remarkable composure, calmly slotting the ball into the bottom right corner to secure a dramatic late equalizer.

Hyderabad FC will next face Mohun Bagan Super Giant on January 2, while East Bengal FC is set to take on Mumbai City FC on January 6.