FC Goa reclaimed the top spot in the Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) table with an enthralling 4-2 victory over FC Pune City on Sunday. The entertaining fixture at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa saw six goals, a saved penalty and two red cards.

  • Ferran Corominas bagged a brace and two assists for the hosts before being sent off in added time.
  • Jackichand Singh and Hugo Boumous got their names on the score sheet for Goa.
  • Pune’s Marcelo Pereira and Emiliano Alfaro got their first goals of the campaign on the 8th and 23rd minute respectively.
  • Diego Carlos was shown the red card on the 86th minute for a reckless challenge.

The hosts got off to the perfect start after Coro put them in the lead after just 5 minutes into the match. A brilliant lofted ball from Ahmed Jahouh released the Spaniard, who shrugged off his marker before slotting the ball past Vishal Kaith. However, the Stallions hit back almost instantly with a wonderful goal from Marcelo Pereira. The Brazilian picked up the ball near the edge of the box, before beating Pune goalkeeper Mohammad Nawaz with a brilliantly executed dipping shot.

The Gaurs took little time to respond, and goal scorer Coro turned provider this time. Boumous played the Spaniard through down the right-hand side, before continuing his run into the box. Coro returned the favour with a perfectly placed cross, which the Frenchman headed in without any mistakes. Goa took the reins of the match after their second goal and wasted little time before extending their lead. On the 20th minute, Coro exposed the Pune defence yet again and ghosted past the backline. He then squared the ball for Jackichand, who just had to tap the ball home.

Just three minutes later, Pune pulled a goal back, albeit with a little help from a goalkeeping mistake. Alfaro burst through the right-hand side of the penalty box before firing in a shot from a tight corner, which slipped through Nawaz’s fingers and ended up in the back of the net. But the Gaurs would have the last laugh of the half as Coro added the sixth goal to his season tally. The striker's initial attempt from Jackichand’s cut back was brilliantly blocked by Gurtej Singh but the Spaniard was the quickest to react to the rebound. He took a couple of touches to make room before smashing the ball home. Despite a few other chances for either side, that would prove to be the last goal of the truly roller-coaster of a first period.

Just 10 minutes into the second half, Pune got a chance to get themselves back into the match, when Alfaro was brought down by Chinglensana Singh inside the box. Alfaro stepped up for the penalty but Nawaz made a brilliant save to keep the Uruguayan out.

As the clock struck the hour mark, Sergio Lobera’s men had the chance to kill the tie off when Boumous and Corominas combined again to break down Pune’s defence. Coro’s resulting shot seemed to be creeping into the far corner, but Ashutosh Mehta slid in bravely and pulled off a miraculous goal-line clearance.

Towards the end of the match, Pune substitute Diego Carlos was sent-off for a harsh challenge on Seriton Fernandes. The winger’s high-footed challenge left the referee no choice but to send him off. That, however, was not to be the last piece of drama for the night. This time, Corominas was shown the red in added time for his sliding challenge on Marko Stankovic.

The result helped Goa leapfrog NorthEast United FC to claim the top spot, while Pune are still stuck at the bottom of the table.

HERO OF THE MATCH

Once again, Ahmed Jahouh displayed his class on the pitch. The midfielder pulled the strings from the centre of the park, spraying out impressive diagonals to the likes of Jackichand and Coro up front. His intelligence and composure on the ball proved too much to handle for the Pune midfield, as they were soundly beaten on the night.

CLUB AWARDS

Club Award – FC Goa

Swift Limitless Player of the Match –Marcelo Pereira

DHL Winning Pass of the Match – Ferran Corominas

ISL Emerging Player of the Match – Mohammad Nawaz

Hero of the Match - Ahmed Jahouh

WHAT’S NEXT?

Goa will travel to Jamshedpur for their next fixture on November 1, while Pune will look to pull their faltering campaign back on track when they play host to Kerala Blasters FC on November 2.

Visit our videos section to view the match highlights and the photos section for exclusive images from the match.

Related tags:

FC Goa Match Report2018-2019