Both teams traded blows in an intense opening half without finding the net. Jamshedpur’s Albino Gomes denied NorthEast early with a vital clearance, while Messi Boulie’s header in the 19th minute narrowly missed the target. Nixon’s long-range strike moments later was comfortably gathered by the keeper.

Parthib Gogoi’s dazzling run in the 27th minute earned a foul, but NorthEast couldn’t capitalize. An injury to skipper Michel Zabaco led to a halftime change, with Ashir Akhtar coming on. Danny Meitei’s header from a Rodriguez corner flew high just before the interval.

Post-break, Rodriguez broke the deadlock in spectacular fashion at the 53rd minute, bending a free-kick into the far corner with precision. Jamshedpur hit back via the spot in the 68th minute after Dinesh Singh’s foul on Boulie, who dispatched the penalty with ice-cold composure to make it 1-1.

Undeterred, NorthEast struck back instantly. Rodriguez controlled possession on the box’s edge and unleashed a thunderous left-footed shot for 2-1 in the 69th minute. Jamshedpur mounted wave after wave of attacks, but Boulie’s 79th-minute curler went begging.

The Highlanders nearly put the game to bed when Ankit Padmanabhan was denied in the 85th minute, and Thoi Singh’s late strike shaved the post. In stoppage time, Stojanovic’s effort floated harmlessly wide, sealing NorthEast’s triumph. This result catapults the Highlanders to seventh with six points, their first three-pointer of the season. Jamshedpur, tasting defeat for the first time, hold onto second spot with 12 points. Rodriguez’s brilliance earned him the Player of the Match accolade, a fitting reward for his game-changing performance.