FC Goa trounce Jamshedpur FC in five-goal-thriller | ISL 2023-24

FC Goa kept up their hopes of finishing second in the league stage after defeating Jamshedpur FC 3-2 at the JRD Tata Sports Complex on Tuesday, April 9. The Red Miners became the first Indian Super League (ISL) team to finish their campaign this season after 22 matches.

The Gaurs sit on 42 points in third while Jamshedpur stay rooted to the tenth position with 21 points. Goa went into the game without a loss in their last five matches while the hosts had not picked up a victory since their 2-1 win against East Bengal on February 22.

The Red Miners got off to a fiery start courtesy of a goal from Rei Tachikawa in the 16th minute. Imran Khan swung in a corner and Carl McHugh mistimed his flick header. The ball fell to Tachikawa in the far post who volleyed it goalwards. Boris Singh Thangjam desperately tried to boot it away from the goal line but the ball flew into the net.

Javier Siverio almost doubled Jamshedpur's lead three minutes later after Jeremy Manzorro set him up with a lovely ball into the box. However, the striker's left-foot volley hit the crossbar and bounced up and over.

Noah Sadaoui made a statement of comeback in the 21st minute. The winger latched on to an immaculate long ball played by McHugh into the left flank. Taking a few wily touches in the box, the Moroccan rifled a shot with his weaker left foot into the near top corner, leaving Vishal Yadav stunned in goal.

Carlos Martinez got in on the act for FC Goa very soon. In the 27th minute, the Spanish striker beautifully controlled a pass by Sadaoui on the edge of the penalty box. He then steadied himself and fired a spinning volley into the top corner, past Yadav's flailing gloves. And just like that, it was 2-1 to the Gaurs.

Manzorro almost equalized for the Miners in the 31st minute but his stinging long-range effort rattled off the crossbar. Vishal Yadav had a howler in injury time of the first half where he passed the ball straight to Brandon Fernandes. The FC Goa captain failed to keep his cool but his strike sizzled off the top of the crossbar.

The two teams went into the break with a 2-1 lead to the visitors.

---

FC Goa leave it late to find the winner against Jamshedpur FC

The second half got off to a cagey start but FC Goa soon gained control of the proceedings. In the 69th minute, Carl McHugh's right-foot volley from a corner came off the post. Three minutes later, Carlos Martinez rounded off the keeper but his shot was blocked by a brave Pratik Chaudhary dive in front of goal.

In the 73rd minute, Len Doungel set the Furnace on fire with the equalizer. The forward timed his run to find a Manzorro through ball, handled off the pressure from Nim Dorjee and scored.

Borja Herrera proved to be a menace to Jamshedpur after coming on. It was he who scored the winner in the fifth minute of stoppage time. The Spaniard picked up the ball in the right wing, cut inside, and tried his luck from the edge of the area.

Herrera's shot was straight at Vishal Yadav, who had put on an impressive performance. However, the young keeper was on his wrong foot and the ball hurtled past him into the net, to secure the victory for FC Goa on the night.

The win for the Gaurs meant that they now equaled Mohun Bagan's tally of 42 points, despite having played a game more. They will play Chennaiyin FC in their last match of the league stage on April 14 at the Fatorda Stadium.

For Jamshedpur FC, it is the end of the road in the 2023-24 season of the Indian Super League. The management has to go back to the drawing board in order to replicate their success in the league from the 2021/22 season when they emerged league winners against all odds.