PANAJI
A dominant FC Goa were left to rue their luck as they crashed to another frustrating defeat in the Indian Super League, going down to a controversial soft goal against Jamshedpur FC on Friday at the GMC Athletic Stadium.
After an uneventful first half where FC Goa bossed possession, Daniel Chima Chukwu (49’) took full advantage of goalkeeper Naveen Kumar’s error early in the second half for Owen Coyle’s men and that proved to be the only goal of the game.
The loss means that the Gaurs remain in ninth place on the points table with 14 points from as many games, as Jamshedpur FC climbed to second place with 22 points while having a game in hand over table-toppers Hyderabad FC.
The Gaurs were handed their first setback before the match began, with Jorge Ortiz getting ruled out of the game with an injury during warm-up. He then had to be replaced with Airam Cabrera in the starting XI, just minutes before kick-off.
Defender Ivan Gonzalez returned to the playing XI, while Brandon Fernandes also earned his first start of the season for the Gaurs. The midfield talisman combined well with Edu Bedia at the heart of the pitch and also created a few chances, but FC Goa could not capitalise on their midfield superiority. Their first big chance came in the 28th minute, when two centre-backs combined as Gonzalez nodded Aibanbha Dohling’s cross on to the crossbar. Edu Bedia also took a shot on the rebound, but his effort was saved well by the outstretched leg of Jamshedpur FC keeper TP Rehenesh.
The first half ultimately ended goalless, with FC Goa marginally the better side - mainly due to their better link-up play in the midfield. Throughout the first 45 minutes, Jamshedpur FC were largely satisfied with staying back and attacking only on the counter.
Four minutes into the second period, Jamshedpur FC scored the only goal of the match. Daniel Chukwu looked marginally off-side as he received a lobbed pass from Laldinliana Renthlei on the right flank. As play went ahead, the Nigerian powered inside the box and pulled the trigger directly at the Gaurs shot-stopper Naveen Kumar, who couldn’t save the ball as it bounced off his hands and into the back of the net.
Derrick Pereira’s men responded well to the setback but a lack of good finishing cost them dearly. In the 68th minute, Gonzalez played a wonderful through-ball to Alberto Noguera, who slipped as he proceeded to take a shot. Thirteen minutes later, Airam Cabrera struck the crossbar after receiving a nice pass from the left flank.
Throughout this period, Jamshedpur FC tried hard to double their lead. They almost got there in the 89th minute, but Saviour Gama’s last-ditch tackle on Ritwik Das averted the danger. The Gaurs threw the kitchen sink at Jamshedpur in the dying minutes of the game but came up empty-handed.
Up next, FC Goa will face Odisha FC on Tuesday, February 1, while Jamshedpur FC’s next match is against Bengaluru FC on February 5.
