FC Goa became the third team to make it through to the quarter-finals of the 130th Durand Cup football tournament, after getting the better of Sudeva Delhi FC 2-1, courtesy goals from Muhammed Nemil and Spaniard Jorge Ortiz Mendoza, at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) in Kolkata on Monday. William scored from a penalty for Sudeva.
The two sides clashed in a Group B encounter and fortunes could not have been more diverse for the two sides in the end. While Goa maintained a 100 per cent win record after two games, Sudeva has now gone down in both of theirs and are out of the reckoning.
The game played again under heavy underfoot conditions and at times in heavy rain had to be completed under the powerful lights of the VYBK in the second half.
There were no clear-cut chances created in the first half of the game although Sudeva did manage to get a couple of half-chances. Most of the Goa moves were happening from the right flank with Man of the Match Seriton Fernandez, Romario Jesuraj, and Spaniard Alberto Noguera Ripoll combining well.
Just when one thought that the half would end goalless, Nemil unleashed a powerful left-footed curler from outside the box in the second and final minute of added time to beat keeper Sachin Jha comprehensively. It was a terrific strike and came from nowhere from a talented young midfielder.
Sudeva began the second half on the front foot and was determined to equalise. They did create two chances within the first 10 minutes but could not convert.
Coach Chencho Dorji affected the changes for Sudeva in search of an equaliser but the Delhi team suffered yet another setback losing first-choice keeper Sachin to injury.
FC Goa on the other hand was going from strength to strength. In the 63rd minute, Ripoll missed a relatively simple one on one with the Sudeva replacement keeper Legend Singh, hitting straight at him.
That would be his last contribution to the game as a minute later Goa gaffer Juan Ferrando Fenoll affected a triple change bringing in Ripoll's fellow Spaniards Edu Bedia and Jorge Ortiz Mendoza along with Brison Fernandes to replace him besides Glan Martins and goal scorer Nemil.
Sudeva did manage a consolation very late in injury time when William Pauliankhum converted a spot-kick thanks to a foul by Edu Bedia in the box, but it was too late.
( With inputs from ANI )
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