CHENNAI: If the bottom of the league Odisha FC were offered a point before the start of their game against fourth placed Hyderabad FC, they would have taken it with both hands. However, after a spirited display against Manuel Roca's men, they would be disappointed that they didn't walk away with all three.
At the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda on Tuesday, Odisha came from behind to snatch a 1-1 draw against Hyderabad in the Indian Super League in yet another result which showed that form guides, player reputations or position on the table doesn't matter and the difference between the top teams and those at the bottom is not night and day.
A first-half strike from Halicharan Narzary (13') was cancelled out by Odisha skipper Cole Alexander's goal (51') in the second. Odisha started off as the brighter side with their striker Diego Mauricio testing Hyderabad goalkeeper Laxmikant Kattimani in the first minute of the game. Since then, it was one way traffic as Hyderabad dominated the first half with their pace, power and ability to switch from defence to attack in a flash.
The opening goal of the game came from one such move when keeper Kattimani launched a ball into the path of Aridane Santana who then flicked it onto the path of Liston Colaco who was bombing down the right channel. The youngster showed great presence of mind to pick out an unmarked Halicharan in the box who simply side-footed it to score his fourth goal of the campaign. The warning signs were there even before that as Hyderabad had identified Odisha's left-back as a weak link to exploit and Liston kept beating him for pace.
Halicharan was the biggest goalscoring threat for Hyderabad and he was unlucky not to score in the 38th minute when his thumping shot hit the upright and stayed out. The 26-year-old could have had a hat-trick but Odisha were lucky to have conceded just one goal. After re-grouping at half-time, Stuart Baxter's team managed to claw back into the game when they scored against the run of play. Alexander beat Kattimani from the edge of the box with a sumptuous finish in the 51st minute to make it into a contest. Hyderabad suffered a setback when Halicharan had to go off injured just minutes later as the tempo dropped a little and Odisha slowly grew into the game.
In the first half, Odisha's pressing was easily broken by their opponents but they were doing it better in the second half and containing the threat of Liston and company.
Odisha had a glorious opportunity to take the lead when Jerry Mawihmingthanga found himself in a promising position after a brilliant cross fell to the youngster at the far post but he couldn't convert and the chance went begging.
Diego came even closer in the 74th minute when the Brazilian danced past his marker down the left and tried to chip the keeper only for the keeper Akash Mishra made a goal-line clearance. Mishra had to be alert on two more occasions on the goal-line as Odisha nearly breached their defence.
Baxter was outsmarting Manuel Marquez which is something not a lot of coaches have managed to do this season. Hyderabad were lacking the kind of intensity they displayed against league leaders Mumbai City in the previous round and as the clock ticked by, Odisha looked the likelier to score. In the end, a draw felt like a fair result.