Basil Sylvester Pinto
PANAJI
Making the most of the myriad scoring opportunities is what separates the results for the better. Domination is short-changed if the final third freezes in the rival D area. And this proved to be the nemesis of The Gaurs who were left with four left hooves in the end as the Stallions breezed the winner in the last minute of regulation time.
The head-to-head record was an indicator that an appetizing contest was in the offing with each side having won once over the other and sharing the spoils on the other two occasions over the last two seasons. Shrugging off an opening game loss in the Highlands, FC Goa showed intent with a more attacking pattern to start with in their first home game. Reinaldo who came as a 70th minute substitution for midfield seasoned campaigner Richarlyson in the previous game was given a start. The move served the team better and Rafael Coelho in the attacking third was welcomed with able support upfront.
The opening quarter provided riveting end-to-end stuff with the visiting Stallions and the Gaurs looking to dictate terms. Chances were created either end and a well-contested game looked set to be the norm to the end. Jofre who was in the thick of midfield action for the Gaurs and his effort near the rival box as early as the sixth minute where he was fouled, found Rafael Coelho step in to take the free kick. The tattooed forward sent a low shot which brushed the citadel but the danger was averted.
On the 13th minute, Spaniard striker Anibal Rodriguez of Pune sent a crisp cross on to his left which the attacker failed to latch on and the FC Goa back wall stood alert to the task. In the next few minutes, former FC Goa midfielder Jonatan Lucca provided two sparks of brilliance in the rival territory which was thwarted. The warhorse Lucca on the 26th minute almost had his reward when a rasping strike was guided on to the woodwork to rebound into play and team-mate Arata Izumi yielded the dividends.
FC Goa undaunted by being goal down, clamped onto the opposition turf with Rafael in the box evading Pune defender Gourmangi Singh who was downplayed on a tackle and struck the ball into the back of the nets for the equalizer on the 33rd minute. Until the breather, FC Goa pressed on to take the initiative and a lead but each move was staved off.
In the thicket of defiance on the greens was the Pune City marquee player Mohammed Sissoko, announcing his ISL arrival with a telling influence. The La Liga and UEFA Cup winner with Valencia controlled the midfield with élan, added teeth to the attack and muscled in defence when the need arose. On the 42nd minute, FC Goa combined well from midfield to the rival box but the danger was cleared away to a corner.
Post resumption, the Gaurs went on a rampage with the Stallions on their hinds, restricted to their own half for a large part of the first quarter. Romeo Fernandes, as in the previous game, came on as a substitute at the restart in place of stopper-back Fulganco Cardozo to bring more pace and sting into the attack.
Rafael sensed an opportunity in the 51st minute to score when Jofre sent him a good ball, but with the few extra moments the forward took to plan his strike also had his shot lack the power to bear fruition with two rival defenders out of position. Shorty later, Romeo lost out on two scoring chances after doing all the spadework.
By the turn of the hour, Pune had a good chance after a long time when their forward Anibal looked to threaten with the Gaurs custodian Kattimani coming out of his box to cut off the angle but support in defence in Raju Gaikwad cleared away the threat. With goals not forthcoming as the opportunities, Zico changed one half in the strikeforce. replacing Reinaldo with Julio Cesar in the 68th minute but the move proved ineffective as the latter was not up to the mark. Two minutes later, a brilliant run of play by the Gaurs with Coelho advancing from across midfield sent a pass to Romeo on the right flank who stitched a cross to Trindade Goncalves whose brilliant acrobatic mid-air strike was parried over the crossbar by an alert Pune City goalkeeper Edel Bete.
In the 78th minute, a Gaikwad pass to Romeo played back to Coelho and sent back to Romeo for a strike which did not catch the rival back-wall off-guard. Another attempt for a lead for FC Goa came Coelho’s way minutes later but Edel’s robust presence in goal stayed unflinching.
On the 87th minute, Pune’s substitute Momar Ndoye stole a march into the Gaurs half but Sahil Tavora who stepped on to the turf only a while earlier was hot on his hooves to see the ball safely go off play. But on the 90th minute, the Senegalese Ndoye would not lose out on another opportunity when he feinted FC Goa marquee player Lucio to slot the winner with defender Dumas looking on desolate with the picture writ on the wall and a second successive defeat handed out shortly later. The Gaurs currently at the bottom of the league standings play their next match against the Super Machans in Chennai on October 13, a side that holds a psychological edge over them after their dramatic showdown in last year’s final.
