MARGAO (GOA) — 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.
