His header fires Gaurs to second place as they blank visitors 1-0
Panaji: FC Goa returned to winning ways in the Indian Super League (ISL), edging past East Bengal FC with a narrow 1-0 victory at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Sunday.
In what is becoming a regular occurrence in the ongoing 2024-25 season, Brison Fernandes once again emerged as the difference-maker with a well-taken goal in the first half.
The Gaurs started brightly, and it took just 13 minutes for them to break the deadlock. A cleverly worked short corner between Borja Herrera and Boris Singh caught East Bengal’s defence off-guard. Herrera’s pinpoint cross found Brison, whose deft header lobbed over an onrushing Prabhsukhan Singh Gill to find the back of the net.
It marked the youngster’s sixth goal of the league season, and the 10th goal overall for him in the Club’s colours.
East Bengal, though stunned, responded well, with Vishnu PV and Richard Celis driving their attack. Goa’s goalkeeper Hrithik Tiwari and their defensive unit were up to the task, however, repeatedly thwarting the visitors.
The second half saw East Bengal ramp up the pressure.
However, Hrithik Tiwari stood tall in goal, pulling off a series of outstanding saves, including a diving effort in the 67th minute to deny Celis from close range.
FC Goa’s chances of extending their lead were squandered, with Armando Sadiku missing some clear opportunities. The Albanian striker’s night went from bad to worse when he was sent off in stoppage time for a rash challenge, leaving his team to hold on with 10 men in the final moments.
The victory extended the Gaurs’ unbeaten run to 11 matches and propelled them to second place in the standings with 30 points from 16 games.
Brison strikes his sixth
Brison Fernandes, the star of the evening was all smiles at the post match interview, and for good reason.
The meteoric talent scoring his sixth goal of the season, becoming the highest Indian goal scorer for FC Goa in a single ISL season.
Reflecting on his goal, Fernandes said, “I’m very happy for the goal, but I’m even happier for the team. It’s always great to contribute, but we know there’s a lot of work still to do.” His consistency in front of goal has been a key factor in FC Goa’s strong attacking play this season, and the midfielder acknowledged his dedication. “Nothing but working hard in the training sessions, that’s all which keeps me going,” Fernandes shared.
While his goal secured the three points, Fernandes was quick to highlight that it was the team’s overall effort that stood out. “Our team performance, which keeps me going, is what helps me shine. We all work together and that motivates me to give my best.” He also emphasized the importance of keeping focus: “We won’t say good enough, but we have to improve a lot in terms of our expectations. We’ll keep going, we’ll keep working hard in the training sessions and we’ll keep going.”
As FC Goa moved up to second place in the ISL standings, Fernandes remained humble about the team’s achievements. “Yeah, we keep going, step by step, focusing on the next match now,” he said. Despite the win, he stressed that there is always room for improvement. “We can always do better, but this is a good step forward. We need to stay consistent and keep pushing forward as a team.”
