FC Goa hosted SC East Bengal in match no. 65 of the Indian Super League (ISL) at the Athletic Stadium in Bambolim. The previous fixture ended in a 4-3 for the Gaurs.
The Kolkata-based club have a new face in their dugout. Mario Rivera took over the coaching job but interim head coach Renedy Singh has led the side for the past few games. Not much was expected of the side after their defensive performances under the interim coach.
FC Goa started the game with their usual approach. Under Derrick Perreira, the side maintained their loving relationship with the ball and were dominant from the first minute.
But in the middle of all this, the Gaurs end up conceding the first goal. Midfielder Edu Bedia took his eye off the ball for a moment and Naorem Singh snatched the ball to score past Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem.
The goal shook FC Goa and they immediately took after in search for an equalizer. They came close to the final third but lacked the incisiveness to cause damage. However, things looked brighter after the cooling break.
Jorge Ortiz, after getting the ball on the left flank, slided in a pass that went beyond Adil Khan's reach and Alberto Noguero managed to convert at the first go. Arindam Bhattacharya was helpless in stopping the shot.
The Red and Gold brigade got their second of the night from another defensive lapse. Anwar Ali tried to pass the ball when he was under pressure but the move was read by Naorem Mahesh, who had no trouble scoring his second. Dheeraj came off his line but could not stop the shot.
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SC East Bengal hold the score against FC Goa
Marco Rivera introduced Raju Gaikwad in the second half. The defender replaced skipper Mohammad Rafique. Derrick Perreira was also forced to make a change after Alexander Romario Jesuraj picked up a knock. Redeem Tlang replaced him. SC East Bengal kept it compact at the back as FC Goa looked more intentful right from the start of the second period.
Derrick Perreira introduced Devendra Murgaonkar in place of Airam Cabrera and Saviour Gama in place of Makan Chothe to change their approach to the game. Semboi Haokip made way for Balwant Singh. The Gaurs kept mounting pressure on Mario's side but his defensive unit was resilient to their attempts and kept them at bay.
The Gaurs asked for a penalty when Sourav Das took down Jorge Ortiz inside the box. But replays suggested that the SC East Bengal midfielder was unaware of Ortiz's approach and intended on clearing the ball from the box.
Things heated up as the clock edged closer to the 90-minute mark. Unfortunately for the Gaurs, creativity was absent for them inside the opposition box and that kept the scoreline steady in favor of SC East Bengal.