BHUBANESWAR, APR 14,
FC Goa ended the long wait for a trophy as it bettered Chennaiyin FC by the odd goal in three (2-1) in the final of the Hero Super Cup here on Saturday.
Player-of-the-tournament Ferran Corominas and Brandon Fernandes found the target for the two-time ISL runner-up Goa while Raphael Augusto pulled one back for Chennaiyin FC.
The opening session saw Chennaiyin show better efficiency in attack making regular incursions into the Goa box.
The first attempt for Chennaiyin came from its wing-back Laldinliana, whose effort inside the box came off the Goa defender Carlos Pena.
While, Chennaiyin centre-backs Mailson Alves and Eli Sabia stymied Goa attacks, Chennayin plotted a series of attacks midway through the action.
The first one came off a combination between Augusto and Anirudh Thapa in the 23rd minute but the former’s effort deflected off the Goa centre-back Mourtada Fall.
Sabia found the side netting following a 24th minute corner before the Goa custodian Mohammad Nawaz pulled off a great save in the 26th minute to deny Dhanpal Ganseh, whose header almost went home.
Drastic change
Things changed drastically after the break as Goa accelerated its game to catch the Chennaiyin defence off-guard. Edu Bedia, who was denied by Chennaiyin custodian Karanjit singh in the 44th minute, found the bar coming in the way of his 50th minute left-footed drive.
Maintaining the momentum, Goa found the lead in the 51st minute with the ever-dangerous Corominas converting the first good chance coming his way.
The Spanish goal machine tapped home his fifth strike of the tournament when Karanjit’s clearance on a Hugo Boumous effort landed near him.
Chennaiyin regrouped quickly to find the equaliser in the 54th minute through Augusto, who found the net off a low drive that took a deflection off Goa mideo Seriton Fernandes and wrong footed Nawaz.
The equaliser did not Dampen Goa’s spirit as it continued to push forward. Brandon did the finishing act in 64th minute when Corominas provided the assist for the wing-half to flick home the winning goal.
Chennaiyin was unfortunate not to find the equaliser again when Sabia’s effort in the injury-time came off the crosspiece.
