Kalinga Super Cup: A fighting Inter Kashi go down to FC Goa

BHUBANESWAR: FC Goa beat Inter Kashi 2-1 in their Group D match of the Kalinga Super Cup at the Kalinga Stadium on Friday. Goan winger Noah Sadaoui was the pick of Goa’s players scoring one and assisting the other to consolidate their victory.

In an utterly dominant first half, FC Goa couldn’t take advantage of the chances that came their way. Right from the start, their midfield, was steered by Noah Sadaoui on the wing. The American was the focal point of Goa’s attack and almost every half decent opportunity within the final third was created by him.

Inter Kashi were defending in numbers, almost all their players putting their bodies on the line to ensure Goa didn’t take an early lead. The best chance arguably fell to Carl McHugh, the defender rising highest to head a Sadaoui corner over the bar. Despite all the possession and the huge number of crosses they put into the box, their inability to actually test Arindam Bhattacharya, magnified their first half performance. The teams went into the break locked in a stalemate.

If anything, Goa hit back harder in the second half, and dropped plenty of balls into the box for Bhattacharya to deal with. Kashi’s success in holding fort had largely relied on doubling up everytime Sadaoui took the ball around the box. In the 54th minute, that discipline finally broke. Brison Fernandes played an innocuous pass across to Sadoui on the left flank. The American for once was faced one-on-one with Sumeet Passi and used it to full effect, faking one way, cutting on to his right foot and curling the ball into the top right corner. Goa had the lead.

Kashi were forced into attacking the Goa goal now and as they did their numbers at the back dwindled. Goa added a second in the 66th minute, Sadaoui again involved, as he cut on his right and crossed to Carlos Martinez who had drifted inside the box. The forward chested the cross down and volleyed it beyond Bhattacharya’s reach.

Just when it seemed like Goa would cruise to win, Kashi hit back to make for a nervy end to the game. Nikum Gyamar, introduced as a substitute picked up the ball to the right of Goa’s box, cut in past two defenders and unleashed a left footed shot into the bottom corner to get a goal back.

Bhattacharya was forced to make an outstanding save in the 85th minute, after Devendra Murgaonkar had run free with only the goalkeeper to beat. Bhattacharya flung himself on the ball as the forward tried to dribble past him to keep Kashi in the game. Kashi flung everything at Goa in the dying moments but it was too little too late.