PANAJI
FC Goa will look to make it three wins on the trot when they take on SC East Bengal in the Indian Super League on Wednesday night at the Tilak Maidan Stadium, in Vasco.
Juan Ferrando's men have won their last two matches “ first against Jamshedpur and then Hyderabad “ both via Igor Angulo goals in injury time to cement their spot as this season’s “comeback kings”.
Up against the Gaurs, this time around will be Robbie Fowler’s Red and Golds who come into the game on the back of their maiden win in the league. The Kolkata side got the better of Odisha FC in their last game and will look to carry their momentum into the encounter.
Both sides are set to clash for the first time but they find themselves at opposite ends in the ISL table. SCEB are placed second from the bottom while FC Goa have jumped to third after the wins over Jamshedpur and Hyderabad.
The Gaurs will start favourites but with the monkey finally off the back for East Bengal, Fowler's side will certainly fancy their chances.
"We want to win games," said Fowler, whose side has been unbeaten in the last three games. "The lads are in a better space now than what we were a few weeks ago. But like I said to them, we got to go out and play the way we can. If you can play the way you can, you will win games. We are not a million miles away. We've won a game but we won't get carried away. Likewise, when we lost a game early in the season, we weren't getting carried away then."
Fowler expects his team not just to nullify Goa's threat but also to cause them problems. "Goa will have a little bit of possession but it's up to our players to work hard. Hopefully, we'll put the ball in the back of the net and give Goa something to worry about. It's not all about what we can do to stop Goa but we've got a team to play, we've got games that we will try to win," he added.
Defensively, both sides have struggled. While SCEB are yet to register a clean sheet, the Gaurs have kept just one, despite their attacking flair. Both sides have also been guilty of conceding in the dying minutes of the game.
FC Goa coach Ferrando is not taking SCEB lightly. "The team is more compact and has displayed its quality in the last few games," he said. "Two weeks ago, there was more pressure as they were in the last position. (But) When you have three points, the emotions in the dressing room are different. Against SCEB, we have a problem because they come into the game without any pressure or stress. It's a new opportunity (for them)."
