FC Goa broke the stellar performance of Kerala Blasters by riding Jovial Dias’ brace to a convincing 3-1 win in the fifth round of the Reliance Foundation Development League (RFDL) at the Benaulim Ground here on Wednesday.
In another game, Hyderabad FC moved up to third on the points table with a comfortable 5-0 win over Mumbai City FC on a wooden spoon at the Nagoa Ground.
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With this win, Goa are sixth with seven points from five matches, leaving four teams in third place with the same number of points, with Hyderabad in third place due to their better one-on-one record. RF Young Champs and Jamshedpur FC are the other two teams with seven points. There are two more rounds to play in the inaugural RFDL.
Kerala, who could only join Bengaluru FC on Wednesday to ensure a place in the top-two, remain second (12 points), having two matches to secure their place and a place in the Next Gen Cup. Two digits are required.
Nihal Sudish (20th) opened the scoring for Kerala, but Jovial’s brace (42nd, 85th) helped Gaur take the lead for the first time in the game, before Bryson Fernandes (89th) took the lead.
Kerala captain Ayush Adhikari sees a header past Hrithik Tiwary in the Goa goal for Nihal in a delightful ball from the left side of midfield. Just before halftime, Goa were rewarded for their industry, after falling behind, Jovial controlling the ball well inside the box before a diving Muhit Shabbir set the house on fire, bar for Kerala. He was playing his first game under
The two teams were tied in the second round before Goa tightened the noose on their more arch-rivals in the last five minutes. First, Jovial hits a Bryson pass over the keeper and into the back of the net. Four minutes later, Maven Dias made a darting run to the left from a counter attack to find Bryson, who took a touch and rocketed a shot to the keeper.
Earlier, a winless Mumbai needed to do their best to better Hyderabad, but right from the start, it was the same story as Hyderabad proceedings for the Islanders.
For Hyderabad, Joseph Sunny (12th), Kaustav Dutta (14th pen), Abhijit Pa (19th) and substitutes Crespo Vanallahriyatpuia (88th) and Bishnu Bordoloi (90th) returned to the nets.
Sunny opened the floodgates, went to the end of a cross inside the box and showed strength to push the ball past his marker. Two minutes later, Kaustav turned from the spot after the brilliant Abhijeet was trapped inside the field.
Sunny then becomes the provider, squaring to tap Abhijeet after a slow move. Hyderabad could have gone into the break with a 4-0 lead but C. Lalchungnunga’s free kick went off the crossbar at the stroke of halftime.
Coach Shamil Chembakath thought of a change after the break, and Crespo and Bordoloi made their intentions clear after scoring two goals in the space of two minutes. Crespo showed excellent footing inside the box to drop the last two defenders and set the house on fire, with Bordoloi nodded two minutes later in a cross from the pass.
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