ISL 2019-20: Hyderabad FC 0-1 FC Goa | 5 Hits and Flops as The Gaurs clinched a narrow away victory

FC Goa managed to clinch three points from Hyderabad FC after a combined team effort outperformed the hosts at the G.M.C Balayogi Stadium in Hyderabad. Manvir Singh did the job again for Sergio Lobera, coming on from the bench in the second half to score the solitary goal of the game.

The Gaurs were forced to start the game without Ferran Corominas at the striking end. Though Hyderabad tried to gain control of the game in the early minutes, Goa responded well through a clinical midfield outing. The hosts' woes deepened when they were forced to replace Marko Stankovic in the early minutes due to an injury.

In the second half, Sergio Lobera brought in the much-needed change in attack by introducing Manvir Singh. The striker connected Brandon Fernandes' corner from the right to get past Kamaljit Singh and find the game's winning goal.

Despite conceding, Phil Brown's men put up an impressive shift, particularly at the back. The midfield came in numbers to support the defenders to clear their lines. It was again at the offensive end that HFC forgot the basics as they had very little activity inside the box. Even though the hosts attempted a late resurgence, the end product was still far away.

Now, we look at the hits and flops from FC Goa's victory away from home.

#Hit - Brandon Fernandes

Brandon Fernandes is rightly called the future of Indian national team's midfield. The 25-year old had an excellent outing in the centre of the park for the visitors. Fernandes was somehow involved in most of Goa's attacks and opened five chances for his team.

He maintained an impressive passing accuracy again as he finished with 55 passes at an accuracy of 73%. When Hyderabad laid a solid defence line, Brandon took the game to the flanks and sent in four crosses into the box.

Manvir Singh's winning header also came from the midfielder's corner-kick. His perfect vision and ability to play in different positions makes him an indispensable member of Lobera's side.

#Flop - Seiminlen Doungel

Sergio Lobera was forced to field Seiminlen Doungel as the lone striker as he missed the services of Ferran Corominas in yet another game. The Manipur-born player, however, did not have a very good time returning from a three-match suspension.

Doungel was nowhere near his best and failed to exploit the Hyderabad defence with his pacy runs. The 25-year old had a hard day reading the game and combining with the likes of Brandon Fernandes and Edu Bedia.

Goa were handed a golden opportunity to secure the lead in the first half when Doungel was on a counter-attack. The striker had options to pass but went for a solo effort at goal and missed the target completely. Had the youngster displayed a more mature show on the field, the away could have sealed the game in the first half.

Eventually, Doungel was replaced by Manvir Singh in the 62nd minute, who also happened to score the solitary goal of the game.

#Hit - Matthew Kilgallon

Mathew Kilgallon was without a second thought, Phil Brown's best defender on the day. The centre-back was a strong presence at the back and faced the dangerous Goan attack without any panic.

Kilgallon was the first to the ball every time Goa made use of their flanks to whip in a cross. Even when Adil Khan showed signs of an injury, the Englishman covered the pitch to evade any panic in the home team's box. The former Sheffield United man's positioning proved to be pivotal in cutting off some crucial balls into the Hyderabad box. Kilgallon, with ease, met the objective of keeping Seiminlen Doungel in check, for most of the game.

The defender finished the game with 11 clearances and 2 interceptions and put in a hard shift at the back. More than anybody else in the side, he deserved a clean sheet but it wasn't to be, as Manvir Singh came on to score the game's winning goal.

#Flop - Bobo

Bobo failed to produce the goods once again for Hyderabad FC

Despite being resolute defensively, Phil Brown's side have won only one match and scored five goals this season. A vital reason for this has been their disappointment returns in the attacking end.

Hyderabad showed minimal movement in the opposition penalty area and striker Bobo was a silent presence for most of the time. The high-profile signing is yet to score his first goal for the club. At times when Bobo had the ball at his feet, he was slow to act, making things easy for the Goan defence.

Adding to the gaffer's woes, the 34-year old's understanding with his partner in attack - Marcelinho has been below par. Bobo attempted a total of four shots, out of which the two on target were easy collections for Mohammed Nawaz. Though he created three chances, the agility and positioning required from a striker was always missing.

#Hit - Ahmed Jahouh

Ahmed Jahouh, as always, was FC Goa's standout performer in the centre of the park. The Moroccan international played out the role of a midfield maestro for the visitors and controlled the tempo of the game over the course of the 90 minutes.

In the early exchanges, Hyderabad tried taking control of the match by keeping possession. Jahouh was quick to react to this by taking the pace off the game. The 31-year old also managed to exploit the spaces in Hyderabad's attacking third by taking four shots at goal from outside the box. He was quick and calm on the ball and extended options to the attackers in front.

Jahouh completed the game with 74 passes at an accuracy rate of 70%. The central midfielder made a total of ten tackles, four blocks and two interceptions. With over 100 touches on the ball, Jahouh created two chances and his dominance was on display yet again.

Edited by Vishal Subramanian