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FC Goa held on towards the end to emerge 4-3 winners from their game against Chennaiyin FC on Thursday in the Indian Super League.
After taking a 3-0 lead at half-time, they had to endure a superb fightback from their hosts who narrowed the deficit to 2-3 inside 60 minutes and then once again to 3-4 before the final whistle. Ahmed Jahouh scored the opener for Goa, incidentally his first-ever ISL goal. Brandon Fernandes doubled it before Hugo Boumous scored a third, all three goals coming off some horrendous play at the back from Chennaiyin.
After Chennaiyin pulled two goals back, Coro added a fourth for Goa, which proved to be the difference-maker in the end.
Towards the end of the game, Goa lost their coach Sergio Lobera who received two yellow cards from referee Umesh Bora and thus did not attend the post-match press conference. His assistant Jesus Tato took his place and said Goa were pleased to finish the year at the top of the table – the win takes Goa to 21 points after they were level with ATK on 18.
“Big win for us today. These three points mean a lot to us. To end 2019 at the top of the table with 21 points is a great achievement, in my opinion.”
Asked about Chennaiyin’s furious comeback in the 2nd half, Tato said: “Our first half was amazing. We pressed so high. If you recover the ball in the final third it becomes easy to create chances. During the half time coach told the players that it was not over as Chennaiyin have very big players.”
“They tried their best to come back in the first part of the second half. I think we suffered initially in the second half but finally, our players could take the ball and scored the fourth goal which was very important for us.”
Tato refused to pin the blame on his players for the comeback choosing instead to credit their opponents.
“I have to put the credit more on Chennaiyin's players than blame ours. Everyone knows about the quality and the mentality of the Chennaiyin players. They showed in the second half that they are a very good and strong team. We need to improve ourselves but it is better to win and then improve, rather than improve after losing matches.”
Asked about the red card issued to Lobera, Tato felt it was ‘unfair’ and that they still didn’t know why it was issued.
"I think our coach didn’t deserve the treatment from the referees in the end. In every press conference, he has defended the referees and supported them. Other coaches talk about refereeing, but Sergio Lobera has never said anything or blamed them. In the last part of the match I was standing close to the coach and he said nothing to receive the second yellow card. Till now we don’t know why the referee booked our coach. I think it is better to ask the assistant referee, maybe he can explain."
Lobera however, was incensed after receiving the first yellow and was seen shouting into the face of the fourth official after the initial booking. This was intimated to referee Bora who showed him his second yellow after the final whistle was blown.
Goa next play Bengaluru FC in a big-ticket match on January 3rd in Bengaluru.
