PANAJI
FC Goa confirmed their place in the semifinals of the Durand Cup with a resounding 5-1 win over Delhi FC on Friday at the Kalyani Stadium. Except for the opening 10 minutes of the game, Juan Ferrando’s men looked completely in charge of the proceedings as they strolled past their opponents.
Goals from the Gaurs’ top scorers (in the Durand Cup) Devendra Murgaokar and Muhammed Nemil along with Brandon Fernandes’ first goal of the season closed out a controlled first half. The second half saw fullback Leander D’Cunha score his first senior goal for the club whilst Alexander Romario Jesuraj netted the fifth to round off the proceedings.
Delhi FC took charge from the start with an early onslaught in the first 10 minutes of play forcing saves from FC Goa keeper Dheeraj Singh. A direct free-kick early on was followed by a shot on goal from their top scorer Willis Plaza in the openings -- forcing Dheeraj into action much earlier than he would have liked.
FC Goa, though, turned the game around in a jiffy and took the lead in the 15th minute as a quick turn and pass from Nemil found Sanson Pereira in acres of space. The fullback made full use of the opportunity to deliver a precise cross for forward Devendra to head home his fourth goal of the campaign.
The Gaurs continued to charge forward and their efforts quickly paid off in a goal that would have certainly left Ferrando smiling from the touchline. A series of intricate passes from the back saw Romario find space on the right and his low ball into the middle was not the best for the onrushing Devendra but Nemil swept home his fourth of the tournament at the far post. Brandon then got into the act at the fag end of the first half with a stunning free-kick as the Indian international curled in a brilliant ball into the top right corner from the left edge of the box.
The second half saw three changes with Edu Bedia, Alberto Noguera and Brandon making way for Glan Martins, Princeton Rebello and Redeem Tlang. The Gaurs kept the pedal to the metal and could have been five goals up by the hour if not for the upright and some lackadaisical finishing.
Substitute Nikhil Mali gave Delhi a late glimmer of hope with a goal in the 82nd minute but Leander’s first goal in senior colours for the Gaurs a minute later sealed the deal for Ferrando’s men. To wrap it all up Saviour Gama, who had come on as a substitute in the second half, delivered his second assist in the 90th minute - this time for Romario to make it 5-1.
Ferrando and his men will now await their next opponent as Bengaluru FC and Army Green face off on Saturday to decide who will meet the high-flying Gaurs in the semifinals. That game is scheduled for a 6 pm kick-off on September 29 at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan.
