KOCHI, NOV 12,
This man is a treat to watch. He has speed, is a smart raider, easily shaking off his markers, and has golden boots too. No wonder Ferran Corominas is on top of the goal-getters’ chart in the fifth Hero Indian Super League.
The 35-year-old Spaniard lit up the Nehru Stadium here on Sunday night with two lovely goals as FC Goa, the league leader, defeated Kerala Blasters 3-1 to hand the home side its second successive loss in Kochi.
The home fans may be disappointed, especially after their team offered hope by starting very positively, but Coro’s goals could wipe away much of the agony.
Classy opener
Coro’s first came off a corner in the 11th minute. Senegal’s Serigna Mourtada rose to meet Edu Bedia’s rising kick but failed badly and the ball moved to Ahmed Jahouh near the top of the box. Coro received the Moroccan’s cross nicely and smartly headed it into the left corner. The Blasters’ goalkeeper Naveen Kumar dived to his right but could do nothing.
While Blasters used the flanks well, with defender Lalruatthara frequently moving up through the left, Goa, combining well, mainly advanced through the centre.
One such move brought Coro’s second goal. After a quick run through the centre, the Spaniard found the net with an angled shot. This time the ball found the right corner beating the diving Naveen easily.
Coro almost made it a hat-trick shortly after the hour mark but the Blasters goalkeeper looked very impressive during this phase as he stopped two consecutive attempts from the Spaniard from inside the box.
But it did not take long for Goa to make it 3-0 and it came off a corner again with substitute Manvir Singh heading in perfectly as a diving Naveen helplessly swatted air.
C.K. Vineeth’s arrival late in the second half raised the tempo for the home team and one shot from the him was nicely stopped by the Nawas. The Blasters finished with a consolation goal with Serbian Nikola Krcmarevic tapping in Sandesh Jhingan’s cross towards the end of the game.
Goa increased its lead to 16 points after seven games while the Kochi side is in the seventh spot with seven.
