FC Goa thumped Mumbai City FC 5-2 to go three points clear at the top of the Indian Super League (ISL) table after a feisty encounter at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in Panaji (Feb 12.
Rowllin Borges (18′) handed Mumbai the lead before Ferran Corominas (20′), Hugo Boumous (38′) and Jackichand Singh (39′) handed the initiative to Goa. Though Bipin Singh (57′) pulled a goal back for Mumbai, Coro (80′) struck again to seal the result before Mohammed Rafique ended up scoring an own goal in the 87th minute. The victory saw Goa remain on course to clinch the top spot in the league while Mumbai remain four points ahead of fifth-placed Chennaiyin FC who have played two games less.
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | Draw | GF | GA | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FC Goa | 17 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 41 | 23 | 36 |
| ATK | 16 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 30 | 11 | 33 |
| Bengaluru FC | 16 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 19 | 9 | 29 |
| Mumbai City FC | 17 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 25 | 28 | 26 |
| Chennaiyin FC | 15 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 26 | 23 | 22 |
| Odisha FC | 16 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 22 | 26 | 21 |
| Jamshedpur Football Club | 16 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 21 | 29 | 17 |
| Kerala Blasters FC | 16 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 23 | 27 | 15 |
| NorthEast United FC | 15 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 12 | 21 | 13 |
| Hyderabad FC | 16 | 1 | 12 | 3 | 15 | 37 | 6 |
Goa made a sloppy start to the game, giving the ball away cheaply in their defensive half far too many times. Mumbai duly took advantage and took the lead in the 18th minute. A long ball into the box was not cleared by the Goan defenders. Subhasish Bose got to the ball and set up Borges inside the box whose drive took a deflection before settling in the back of the net.
Goa’s response was swift. In the 20th minute, Jackichand sent a cross from the right-wing. Boumous managed to nod the ball forward which Corominas lashed home on the volley from close range.
Mumbai tried to mount a response but were unable to force a proper opening. Goa grew in confidence and punished Mumbai with two quick goals before half-time. In the 38th minute, a corner from Brandon Fernandes was nodded towards Boumous by Carlos Pena. The Moroccan reacted quickly to direct it into the far corner to hand Gaurs the lead.
In the very next minute, Coro drove forward and slipped Jackichand in on the right who chipped a brilliant finish into the goal to stun the away side.
Jorge Costa’s side started the second half with renewed vigour and got a goal back in the 57th minute when Borges kept a clearance alive on the right-wing before cutting it back for Bipin, whose first time shot rippled the net.
Mumbai kept pushing and should’ve scored more, but Goa goalkeeper Mohammed Nawaz made two good saves in quick succession to keep them at bay.
Goa then hit Mumbai on the counter yet again to put the game to bed. A rapid move saw Boumous slip Coro through on goal and he expertly scored past Amrinder Singh to make it 4-2.
Mumbai were dealt the killer blow in the 87th minute when Coro’s attempted shot was blocked away. It fell for Lenny Rodrigues who slammed a cross which deflected off Rafique into the goal.
This article was originally published in NDTV.com