Margao (Goa), Jan 8 FC Goa and Hyderabad FC played out a 1-1 draw in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Wednesday. Allan Paulista scored in added time as the visitors secured a point late into the game, in a match that had almost equal possession, and bagged their third draw of the season.
Playing at home, the Gaurs created several chances, taking five shots on target, and would have hoped for a finer finishing touch that could have pushed them to gain a stronger grip in the contest.
Armando Sadiku pulled a cheeky effort off the back heel of his feet in the fifth minute to try and put FC Goa ahead following a corner kick. Mohammad Yasir picked the ball on the right side of the box and thundered a shot that met Sadiku instead. The striker tried to make the most of the angle that he was stuck in, but the ball ricocheted off the post instead.
Sadiku was again in action in the 27th minute, missing a glaring opportunity to strike the goal. Brison Fernandes, coming into the game on the back of consecutive braces, brought down a long ball on the left flank that forced Hyderabad FC goalkeeper Arshdeep Singh to charge and close down the winger. Brison squared the ball to Sadiku, who momentarily had an open net to aim at. Immediately, the Hyderabad FC defence collectively got together to block the forward’s attempt and stay afloat in the proceedings.
Sadiku finally broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute with a goal that was a fine culmination of a sustained period of attack exerted by the FC Goa frontline. They gradually pushed Hyderabad FC back, unlocking a sense of panic inside the box, and the eventual sequence came about with Boris Singh curling in a precise cross for Dejan Drazic on the left post. Drazic’s header met some resistance from the Hyderabad FC defence, but Sadiku was placed perfectly in very close range on the centre to hammer the ball into the top right corner of the net.
The Gaurs were brought down to 10 men after Borja Herrera was shown a straight red card in the 59th minute after an incident involving Hyderabad FC defender Alex Saji. Incidentally, Saji was the next player to be sent off, in the 72nd minute. He picked up his second yellow card of the game following a foul on Sadiku away from the 18-yard box, taking the numerical advantage away from his side. The Gaurs tried to capitalise upon that urgently, with Udanta Singh setting up a delivery for Aakash Sangwan, who was outside the 18-yard box. Sangwan unleashed a left-footed effort that missed the target by a margin, opting against engaging in further build-up.
Isaac Vanmalsawma looked to salvage a point for Hyderabad FC, delivering a cross for Allan Paulista at the centre of the box in the 81st minute. Paulista’s headed effort was on target on the right side but was ably saved in time.
The duo, however, came in clutch, in added time of the second half. Hyderabad FC hadn’t mustered many concrete chances in the game, but Issac’s insistence on exploiting wider areas bore fruit when he sent in another cross for Paulista, which the latter slotted into the bottom left corner, hurrying the FC Goa defence and notching the all-important equaliser.
FC Goa will play their next game against NorthEast United FC on January 14. Hyderabad FC are set to feature against Bengaluru FC on January 18.
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