Hero Super Cup: Jamshedpur FC maintain perfect record; FC Goa edge ATK Mohun Bagan
Jamshedpur FC maintained their perfect winning record in the Hero Super Cup as they beat Gokulam Kerala FC 3-2 in a brilliant see-saw game while Fares Arnaout's late winner helped FC Goa edge ATK Mohun Bagan.
Jamshedpur FC maintained their perfect winning record in the Hero Super Cup as they beat Gokulam Kerala FC 3-2 in a brilliant see-saw game at the EMS Corporation Stadium in Kozhikode, in Kerala, on Tuesday. Harry Sawyer, Farukh Choudhary, and Ishan Pandita provided the goals for the Red Miners while Samuel Konney bagged a brace for the Hero I-League side.
🤩 Heading into the semifinals with the right energy💥#JamKeKhelo #JFCGKFC #HeroSuperCup @IndianFootball pic.twitter.com/Z1x6u7EWHF
— Jamshedpur FC (@JamshedpurFC) April 18, 2023
Jamshedpur head coach Aidy Boothroyd chose a new-look team for this one with most regular starters being rested for the semi-finals against Bengaluru FC.
As the game reached the half hour mark, Gokulam Kerala broke the deadlock as a play down the middle was netted in comfortably by Samuel Konney.
Jamshedpur FC were quick to respond with the equaliser just six minutes after the opening goal. A precise through ball from Germanpreet Singh into the box was slotted in with a smooth finish by Harry Sawyer.
The first period ended on equal terms with both sides hungry for the advantage in the second half.
In the 60th minute, Farukh Choudhary gave Jamshedpur FC the lead with a beautiful touch to beat his marker and a composed finish from a tight angle at the end of a set-piece. The goalscorer for the Kerala-side, Samuel Konney found the back of the net once more to bring his team back into the mix. The Men of Steel fought back however, and took the lead again as Ishan Pandita scored from a low-driven shot down the middle.
The thrilling clash came to an end with all three points in the bag for JFC and a semi-final clash to come.
Jamshedpur FC wrapped up their group stage with a perfect record as they registered 3 consecutive wins in Group C and are now ready to take on Bengaluru FC in the semi-finals on Friday.
Arnaout's late winner seals win for FC Goa
FC Goa ended their campaign on a high note as they secured a 1-0 win over Hero Indian Super League (ISL) champions ATK Mohun Bagan in their final group stage of the Hero Super Cup at the EMS Corporation Stadium later on Tuesday.
A late winner from Fares ensures we end our season with a win! 😍🧡#ForcaGoa #UzzoOnceAgain #HeroSuperCup #ATKMBFCG pic.twitter.com/8rk8cinnB2
— FC Goa (@FCGoaOfficial) April 18, 2023
The Gaurs finished second in Group C behind Jamshedpur FC while the Mariners ended their campaign in third place with only one win.
Both sides were looking to finish their campaign in a positive way having already been eliminated from the competition. FC Goa enjoyed most of the possession in the opening half and certainly settled well in the game.
The first real chance of the game came in the third minute when Noah Sadaoui swung in a teasing ball with the outside of his boot, but Brison Fernandes failed to keep his header on target.
Ashique Kuruniyan registered the first shot on target for the Mariners after a couple of twists and tricks from his boot. Arshdeep Singh denied his effort for a corner, which caused no harm.
Following the water break, the speed of the game intensified. Hernan Santana attempted to go from a distance with an ambitious free-kick but his effort went above the crossbar.
Moments later, Liston Colaco pounced on a miscued clearance and rushed towards the goal, before attempting a shot which the FC Goa custodian parried away.
On the cusp of the half-time break, Glan Martins caught Arshdeep off the line, as the former went for a spectacular attempt from the halfway line but the keeper gathered it comfortably in the end.
ATK Mohun Bagan looked more compact at the back as the Carlos Pena-coached team failed to register any shots on goal in the first half.
Despite ATKMB’s strong end to the first half, it was FC Goa who started quicker after the interval.
Fifteen minutes past the second half, Santana curled a wonderful effort from a freekick but missed the target only by a few inches. Moments later, Colaco took everyone by surprise as he went for his trademark effort from a distance but the winger failed to hit the target this time around.
Juan Ferrando made a couple of switches in search of a goal as he brought in the likes of Hugo Boumous and Manvir Singh for the final quarter of the game. Substitutions were made at the opposite end as well and it was the Gaurs who continued to mount their pressure on the opposition half.
At the 81-minute mark, Devendra Murgaonkar found Sadaoui in space but the latter fired his effort over the crossbar.
Fares Arnaout broke the deadlock one minute before the end of the regulation time when Sadaoui floated into a corner from the right side and Kaith took his eye off completely as he failed to get a hold of the ball. Fares was right there in the right place at the right time as he headed it into an empty net to seal the three points for the Gaurs.
In the second minute of the stoppage time, Manvir made a marauding run before unleashing a shot that went straight into the hands of Arshdeep. The Mariners had a final chance to get an equalizer from a corner but the FCG custodian came on top once again as he comfortably collected Petratos’ corner kick.