A five-goal thriller at the JRD Tata Sports Arena, home ground of Jamshedpur FC on Tuesday concluded with visitors FC Goa returning with all three points following a tenacious display that spreads hope among the fans ahead of the upcoming Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 playoffs.
Ruled out of the race for the League Shield the previous day following table-toppers Mumbai City FC’s win over Odisha FC, the Gaurs still had a lot to play for when they walked onto the pitch against the Men of Steel.
And right from the start, they proved their awareness of the stakes at play, as evident from their constant forays into the opposition’s box in search of a breakthrough.
A header from Carlos Martinez went wide, after Mohammad Yasir did his best to provide his Spanish team-mate with a measured cross.
When Rei Tachikawa found the back of the net for the hosts in the 17th minute, it was also their first big chance created since kick-off. By this time, Goa had three of four of those to their name, although a goal remained elusive.
Only until four minutes later, though, as Noah Sadaoui magically carved an opportunity out from a long ball by Carl McHugh, before turning his marker inside out and unleashing a shot straight into the near post top corner.
In the 28th minute, Manolo Marquez and his boys had their lead, with Sadaoui once again in the thick of things. His cross from the left side of the box found Martinez, who controlled the ball excellently with an outstretched foot and fired a volley that flew home past the goalkeeper, also thanks to a slight deflection from a defender.
At half-time, the score read 2-1 in favour of the Gaurs. It took until the 73rd minute for Jamshedpur to bring the scoresheet back to level terms. Martinez’s fumble in his attempt to score led to the ball being whisked away in a swift counter-attack, which ended only once Seiminlen Doungel tucked it into goal past FC Goa goalkeeper Dheeraj Singh.
And five minutes into injury time, just when it looked like both teams would take a point each from the encounter and part ways, the Men in Orange broke the deadlock once again – permanently this time.
Substitute Borja Herrera’s shot was too strong for Jamshedpur custodian Vishal Yadav to handle, as it bounced off his legs and trickled into the net to make the score 3-2 in favour of his team.
The victory also puts FC Goa in third place with their tally now climbing to 42 points after 21 matches. Second-placed Mohun Bagan Super Giant have the same number of points, but have played a game less.
With another direct spot in the semi-finals – apart from the one reserved for the league champions – now up for grabs, Marquez and co will look for nothing less than another win, when they lock horns with Chennaiyin FC in what is also their final league stage game, at the PJN Stadium in Fatorda on Sunday.
