FC Goa beat Odisha FC 4-2 to hand Josep Gombau’s men their first defeat at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday. The victory also sends the Gaurs three points clear of ATK FC at the top of the Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) 2019-20 table, but the Kolkata-based side still has a game in hand. Odisha, on the other hand, stay fourth but are now susceptible to losing the spot to one of the teams in the chasing pack.

  • Edu Bedia’s free-kick took a deflection off Vinit Rai and ended up inside the Odisha goal in the 21st minute as Goa drew first blood.
  • Jackichand Singh struck twice in the 24th and 27th minute respectively to make it 3-0 in Goa’s favour.
  • Manuel Onwu reduced the deficit for Odisha with two goals in the 59th and 65th minute.
  • Ferran Corominas scored in the stoppage time to seal a 4-2 victory for the Gaurs.

The away team made a strong start, trying to catch the very new-look Odisha defence out cold early on. The hosts managed to somehow soak in the pressure but created little of note in Goa’s half in the first 20 minutes.

Goa, however, found a way through in the 21st minute through a set-piece. Edu Bedia’s free-kick from just outside the box took a wicked deflection off Vinit Rai and ended up inside the net, leaving Odisha goalkeeper Francisco Dorronsoro wrong-footed.

Three minutes later, Goa went on to double the lead as Jackichand Singh’s attempted cross crept inside the far post after eluding Dorronsoro. Jacki doubled his own tally in the 27th minute after tapping in a Hugo Boumous cross as Goa took a 3-0 lead in the contest, leaving the home team shell-shocked.

Odisha tried hard to recover and Manuel Onwu, making his debut for the club, even got the ball inside the Goa goal in the 33rd minute, but it was ruled out due to an offside. The final ten minutes of the half saw Odisha enjoy more of the possession, but the hosts couldn’t quite convert them into goals as they went into the break trailing by three goals.

The home side persisted with their endeavours after the restart and following several close calls, finally managed to break through near the hour mark. Onwu scored his first Hero ISL goal after heading in a Narayan Das cross from the left to make it 3-1.

Goa could have restored their three-goal advantage almost immediately at the other end but Dorronsoro pulled off back to back saves to deny Brandon Fernandes and Boumous.

In the 65th minute, Onwu scored his second of the night from a corner to make it 3-2 and set up an enthralling final 25 minutes of the contest. Odisha continued to press for their third goal as the Gaurs defended in numbers to protect their slim lead.

During a frantic final few minutes, Goa put the game beyond Odisha with their fourth goal of the night. Substitute Manvir Singh carried the ball forward down the right flank and cut it back inside the danger zone. The ball found its way to Ferran Corominas, waiting inside the six-yard box, and the Spaniard made no mistakes as he buried his shot past Dorronsoro to score his 50th goal in all competition in Goa colours. The match ended 4-2 in Goa’s favour.

Hero of the Match – Jackichand Singh

The winger’s quickfire brace in the first half set the tone for the match and played a crucial role in Goa’s hard-fought victory on the night. He also put in four crosses during the 64 minutes he spent on the pitch. Jacki was adjudged the Hero of the Match.

AWARDS

Club Award – FC Goa

Maruti Suzuki Limitless Player of the Match – Manuel Onwu

DHL Winning Pass of the Match – Hugo Boumous

ISL Emerging Player of the Match – Gaurav Bora

Hero of the Match – Jackichand Singh

Watch the match highlights here:

Related tags:

FC GoaOdisha FC Match Report2019-2020Match 69, Odisha FC vs FC Goa - 2019