ISL: FC Goa beat FC Pune City to jump to fourth spot

Margao, Nov 22 (IANS) FC Goa beat FC Pune City 2-0 in an Indian Super League (ISL) match at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here Saturday to storm into the top half of the table - into the fourth spot.

Winger Romeo Fernandes got the opener for the winners in the 6th minute and substitute Miroslav Slepicka added another in stoppage time to seal the victory. It was the same margin by which Pune defeated the hosts in the first leg encounter.

Goa (12 points) are ahead of Mumbai City FC on goal difference. FC Pune City also have 12 points but are sixth in the standings owing to an inferior goal difference.

The match started at a swift pace with the hosts getting into the dangerous positions inside the Pune box and taking an early lead when a Fernandes header put them ahead.

Fernandes won a free kick on the right flank which was taken by Brazilian Andre Santos. The sprightly winger got onto the end of it and his glancing header beat goalkeeper Arindam Bhattacharya to give Goa the lead.

Goa kept Bhattacharya busy after the early goal and the Indian keeper pulled off several decent saves to keep his team in the contest.

Pune came close to equalising when Park Kwang almost got onto the score sheet soon after, getting at the end of Kostas Katsouranis’ lobbed pass but he was denied by keeper Jan Seda.

Goa came out in the second half with an intention of holding on to the lead even as Pune showed more intent to get even. Katsouranis managed to rattle the crossbar with an acrobatic effort from a corner, but that was the closest Pune got to leveling the score after the break.

Pune coach Fanco Colomba introduced three strikers in an effort to save the game, throwing in David Trezeguet in the 83rd minute.

But it was Goa coach Zico’s substitutions that worked. Substitutes Clifford Miranda, Miroslav Slepicka and Jewel Raja combined to seal victory for the hosts, when Miranda got onto a cross from Raja and headed it towards goal only for Slepicka to get the last touch in.

Goa play against Kerala Blasters FC next at home Nov 26 while Pune return home to take on Atletico de Kolkata Nov 29.