SC East Bengal staged a thrilling comeback as it pressed a 10-man FC Goa but the ‘Gaurs’ denied inroads, finally closing a 1-1 draw in the Indian Super League at the Fatorda Stadium here on Friday.
East Bengal captain Daniel Fox exults after netting the equaliser.
Panaji: Goa went ahead through Igor Angulo’s 39th-minute goal, but his strike was neutralised by SCEB skipper Daniel Fox (65’), who netted his first in ISL. The first half was an open-ended affair, with chances being created at both ends. However, Goa went into the break with a one-goal advantage after punishing SCEB for a defensive error.
There was drama early on after East Bengal was awarded a controversial penalty in the second minute. The referee pointed to the spot after full-back Narayan Das was tripped by Mohamed Ali. Anthony Pilkington stepped up to take the penalty and sent Goa goalkeeper Dheeraj Singh the wrong way but blasted his effort wide.
Goa tried to make inroads after surviving the early scare but missed its chances. Meanwhile, SCEB grew into the game as it progressed, applying constant pressure on the Goa backline but wasn’t clinical.
A defensive lapse from SCEB handed Goa the lead. Princeton Rebello won the ball in midfield and found Alberto Noguera, who played a sublime pass for Angulo in the box. The Spaniard rounded off Debjit Majumder before slotting into an empty net, extending his lead at the top of the goal-scoring charts.
The second half belonged to SCEB. It was another defensive mistake that ended up in a goal, this time in favour of East Bengal. Pilkington fired a low cross into the box and Dheeraj fluffed his lines, allowing Fox to pounce on the loose ball and blast home.
There was drama early on after East Bengal was awarded a controversial penalty in the second minute. The referee pointed to the spot after full-back Narayan Das was tripped by Mohamed Ali. Anthony Pilkington stepped up to take the penalty and sent Goa goalkeeper Dheeraj Singh the wrong way but blasted his effort wide.
Goa tried to make inroads after surviving the early scare but missed its chances. Meanwhile, SCEB grew into the game as it progressed, applying constant pressure on the Goa backline but wasn’t clinical.
A defensive lapse from SCEB handed Goa the lead. Princeton Rebello won the ball in midfield and found Alberto Noguera, who played a sublime pass for Angulo in the box. The Spaniard rounded off Debjit Majumder before slotting into an empty net, extending his lead at the top of the goal-scoring charts.
The second half belonged to SCEB. It was another defensive mistake that ended up in a goal, this time in favour of East Bengal. Pilkington fired a low cross into the box and Dheeraj fluffed his lines, allowing Fox to pounce on the loose ball and blast home.
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