Lalrinliana Hnamte marked his SC Delhi debut with a match-winning brace, scoring twice in five second-half minutes to overturn a deficit and hand his side a 2-1 victory over Jamshedpur FC in a Group C fixture of the 135th Durand Cup at the Birsa Munda Stadium in Ranchi on Tuesday, 4 August. The result keeps both sides level on three points at the top of Group C, separated only by goal difference.

First Half: Jamshedpur Take Control

Jamshedpur FC made the brighter start, channelling their attacking play through the flanks. Winger Sanan Mohammed was the standout performer in the opening exchanges, troubling the SC Delhi backline with his pace and direct dribbling. Raynier Fernandes, fresh from a hat-trick in Jamshedpur's previous outing, came closest to breaking the deadlock early, but his effort from the edge of the area drifted wide.

At the other end, Mohammed Aimen came agonisingly close to giving SC Delhi the lead, dribbling past three defenders before his side-footed finish struck the base of the post and rebounded to safety.

Jamshedpur's pressure eventually told in the 22nd minute. Pronay Halder won possession deep in his own half and released Sanan with a perfectly weighted ball over the top. The Kerala winger showed sharp footwork to wrong-foot Ashutosh Mehta inside the box before unleashing a fierce left-footed strike past goalkeeper Nora Fernandes — a goal Jamshedpur fully deserved.

SC Delhi grew into the match in the final quarter of the first half and fashioned their best chance when Lamgoulen Semkholun split the defence with a line-breaking pass to release Hnamte. The debutant's low cross found Joseph Sunny unmarked at the back post, but Sunny lost his footing at the crucial moment and the chance went begging. Jamshedpur led 1-0 at the break.

Hnamte's Double Turns the Tie

SC Delhi found their equaliser in the 51st minute through a costly goalkeeping error. Aimen's low effort from the edge of the area appeared comfortable for Albino Gomes, but slippery conditions caused the Jamshedpur goalkeeper to spill the ball. Hnamte reacted quickest to the rebound and slotted calmly into the net.

The new signing was not done. Five minutes later, winger Augustine Lalrochana dribbled past Provat Lakra with ease and found Hnamte inside the box. The midfielder guided a composed first-time finish with his left foot beyond Gomes to give SC Delhi the lead — completing a remarkable turnaround inside ten second-half minutes.

SC Delhi Hold On Despite Late Drama

SC Delhi looked firmly in control after taking the lead. Brazilian new signing Rodriguinho, introduced off the bench, almost added a third — threading a pass to K. Sourav whose rebound fell to Rodriguinho with an open goal beckoning, only for a recovering Jamshedpur defender to bundle him off the ball in a crucial intervention.

Jamshedpur enjoyed possession in the closing stages but created little of note. Their best opportunity arrived deep in stoppage time when Lalhriatpuia Chawngthu blasted over from a long throw-in. The match ended with further drama as SC Delhi's Ashutosh Mehta was shown a direct red card for a reckless challenge on Sanan Mohammed, reducing the visitors to ten men — though the result was already secured.

Group C Standings and What's Next

Despite the defeat, Jamshedpur FC remain at the top of Group C on three points from two matches, level with SC Delhi on goal difference — though Delhi have played only one game. SC Delhi head coach Tomasz Tchórz had retained eight players from the club's final Indian Super League fixture of the previous season, while also handing competitive debuts to Hnamte, Yanglem Sanatomba Singh, and the experienced Mehta. Jamshedpur head coach Kaizad Ambapardiwalla had made a single change from his side's previous outing, bringing in full-back Nikhil Barla for Abhishek Ambekar.

Wednesday's fixtures in the 135th Durand Cup see NEROCA FC take on Indian Navy FT (Group D) at 4:00 PM IST at the Khuman Lampak Main Stadium in Imphal, followed by Indian Army FT versus Baghpat FC (Group B) at 7:00 PM IST at Kishore Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata.