PANAJI
FC Goa recorded their first win of the 2023 Super Cup as they edged past Gokulam Kerala 1-0 but their title defence ended after Jamshedpur FC secured their progress with a 3-0 win over ATK Mohun Bagan on Friday.
The win over local favourites had kept the Gaurs in contention but Jamshedpur’s big win knocked both FC Goa and ATK Mohun Bagan out of the competition with a match still to play. The Gaurs will take on ATK Mohun Bagan in their final group game on April 18.
The attacking duo of Noah Sadaoui and Iker Guarrotxena combined to give the Gaurs all three points with a goal in the late stages of the match. The Gaurs finished with 19 shots on goal but had to wait till the end to get the much-needed three points after their defeat to Jamshedpur FC in the campaign opener.
Noah looked set to seal the late win when he broke behind Gokulam’s backline but saw his effort being saved by Shibin Raj. The rebound fell kindly for the opportunistic Guarrotxena, who slotted in his 13th strike of the season from close range before the team joined in celebrations with Brandon Fernandes’ shirt with the captain missing his action due to personal reasons.
The match promised much in the opening minutes after Fares Arnaout rose the highest in the eighth minute but saw his header from a corner crash off the frame of the goal and rebound to safety. A few minutes later, Guarrotxena extended his muscles to the furthest but failed to make a telling touch. The afternoon heat seemed to have had a big impact on both sides as the game wore on. Neither team was able to find any sort of rhythm in the first period as it finished without a shot on target being recorded.
The second half though started on a completely different tune with both keepers being called into action early on. The 49th minute saw Shibin Raj in the Gokulam goal become the hero for the home side. The keeper made a double save as he clawed away Makan Chothe’s shot from close distance before stretching low to his left to deny Saviour Gama the opener.
A few minutes later it was Gokulam on the charge as Sourav K found space down the left flank. The forward showed off his pace to get one-on-one with the onrushing Arshdeep Singh but failed to keep his composure - toe-poking his attempt wide of the mark.
