PANAJI
A brace by Jovial Dias and a late strike by Brison Fernandes helped FC Goa return to winning ways in the Reliance Foundation Development League, as the young Gaurs beat Kerala Blasters 3-1 at the Benaulim Panchayat Ground on Wednesday.
The result also means that the Gaurs brought an end to the Southerners’ unbeaten run in the league. Kerala Blasters struck first in the game when they took the lead in the 20th minute. Even an outstretched dive could not help FC Goa shot-stopper Hrithik Tiwari, as Nihal Sudeesh buried the ball in the bottom corner of the net.
The usual sloppiness in defence and lack of coordination in midfield did not help the Gaurs' cause in the opening minutes, as the Blasters looked to stamp their authority in the game even further. The turning point for FC Goa came in the 41st minute, when a wonderful ball into the box was received by Jovial, who found the target from close range.
A greater part of the second period saw both teams adopting a cautious approach. Jovial then made his presence felt for FC Goa again as the Gaurs' incessant pressure led to a mistake from Kerala, and the young forward capitalised on it, scoring his second of the day in the 86th minute.
Three minutes later, FC Goa stretched their lead to two goals, after brilliant play between Jovial, Danstan Fernandes, Lalremruata HP and Brison, to put the ball into the Blasters box. Brison found himself with loads of space to find the top corner to give FC Goa their second win of the competition.
Courtesy of the victory, Deggie Cardozo’s boys are in sixth spot in the standings with seven points from five games. Their next clash is against Mumbai City FC on May 8.
