Goa: Mohun Bagan Super Giant ended the 12-match-long unbeaten streak of FC Goa in Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 by inflicting a 1-0 loss upon the Gaurs at the Fatorda Stadium on Wednesday.
A 75th-minute winner by Dimitrios Petratos sealed the deal for the Mariners as they got a second consecutive victory under their belt and prevented Manolo Marquez & Co. from bridging the gap between them and league leaders Odisha FC.
The home side teased the Mohun Bagan Super Giant as their personnel tested them from both set-pieces and open play in the first 20 minutes. Brandon Fernandes was at the forefront of it all, setting up deliveries for Carlos Martinez and Noah Sadaoui at different junctures.
Martinez was caught offside from a promising position in the fifth minute, and one of Brandon’s efforts from long-range was on target but couldn’t get past Vishal Kaith soon afterwards. Petratos quickly turned the tables with a sharp turnaround as he switched the ball on his feet and attempted to curl in a shot from distance in the 21st minute. Thankfully for FC Goa, goalkeeper Arshdeep Singh dived full stretched on his left to keep the scores level.
Incidentally, the duo of Arshdeep and Petratos was at the centre of attraction yet again, in a move that decided the eventual fate of the game. The Mariners broke on the counter and a usually organised FC Goa backline seemed out of place, which Manvir Singh looked to capitalise upon by putting the ball past Arshdeep in the 74th minute. The goalkeeper, who had kept the most clean sheets in the league before this, made a hasty clearance that Petratos pounced upon and swirled over the custodian to bag the eventual winner of the contest.
Both Mohun Bagan Super Giant and FC Goa will play their next game against NorthEast United FC on February 17 and February 21 respectively.
