ISL 5: FC Goa thrash Pune City 4-2 to climb on top of points table

FC Goa continued with its goal-scoring spree with another four goals in the 4-2 victory against Pune City at the Fatorda Stadium on Sunday.

Ferran Corominas scored two (5^t’; 35^t’) and was sent off while Hugo Boumous (12’) and Jackichand Singh (20’) netted the other two as Goa hammered another four to make it 14 goals in four matches in ISL 5. Marcelinho (8’) and Emiliano Alfaro (23’) were the goal-scorers for Pune.

The dominating victory also took Goa back to the top of the points table. They have 10 points, while Pune extended its stay at the bottom after their third defeat in four matches. The other ended in a draw, leaving them as one of the three sides still without a win.

Coming on the back of a big victory, Goa coach Sergio Lobera named the same team that had hammered five goals against Mumbai, while Pune’s interim coach Pradhyun Reddy – head coach Miguel Angel Portugal has been sacked – brought a major overhaul making as many as five changes in the playing XI.

Lobera’s decision brought furthermore rewards when Goa took the lead as early as the fifth minute. Corominas had scored at the sixth minute against Mumbai but needed a minute less against Pune. He got to the end of a fine lob from Ahmed Jahouh shrugged off the challenge from Gurtej Singh before placing the ball past Vishal Keith to give his side a 1-0 lead.

But it took just three minutes for Pune to equalise when Robin Singh’s pass to Marcelinho saw the latter score a stunner into the right-top corner.

However, Goa were back in the lead by the 12^th minute with Boumous heading home Corominas’ chip to make it 2-1. Eight minutes later they scored again with Corominas passing the ball to teammate Jackichand after Seriton Fernandes’ clever ball from the back allowed the Spaniard to escape behind the Pune defence.

As if a goal fest was running, Pune pulled one back again three minutes after Goa had made it 3-1. Alfaro latched on to a Jonathan Vila’s pass before smashing it past the Gaur goalkeeper Mohammad Nawaz.

Goa though wouldn’t stop scoring and again took the lead in the 35^th minute. Corominas netted his second after Pune failed to clear a Jackichand cross and all he was left to do was a tap-in to make it 4-2.

The second-half did not produce any goals, but Pune would curse themselves for missing the penalty 10 minutes away from the final whistle, which not just could have reduced the deficit to one goal but also kept them alive in the match.

Chinglensana Singh had lost possession outside his box and in trying to win it back threw Alfaro down prompting the referee to give a penalty. But Nawaz ensured it was still a good night for Goa with a fine save off the Uruguayan’s shot.

Both the teams were then reduced to 10-men after Diego Carlos and Corominas were sent off for dangerous tackled from four minutes apart from each other.

Image Source: ISL