Guwahati: Unlike most of his predecessors, newly appointed technical director Avram Grant began with a bang guiding a struggling NorthEast United to their first home win with a 2-1 victory over FC Goa at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium here on Saturday.
The Israeli’s arrival seems to have instilled new confidence in the players that was visible as Marcinho and Seiminlen Doungel scored one each across both the halves to secure what was their only second win in the season. Manuel Arana scored the lone goal for the visitors that restored parity in the 27th minute, before Doungel’s lob over FC Goa’s custodian Kattimani sealed the win for the ‘Highlanders’.
It was however an evening of chances and a team that converted better came out victorious something Goa coach Sergio Lobera accepted later. “A lot of chances were created by us but we failed to take them. NorthEast United had a few more and they scored from those,” he said as quoted by Goal.com.
Desperate for a win after four consecutive losses NorthEast toyed with the Goan defence in the opening 25 minutes, scoring their first goal within that time when Danilo Cezario’s long ball was perfectly controlled by Marcinho in the box and the Brazilian did not mince finding the net behind a diving Kattimani.
The home side’s joy however didn’t last long as Goa did what have been doing all season, equalise quickly. Seven minutes after conceding Prannoy Halder’s mouth-watering cross was met by Arana, whose header send the ball fiercely into the net after hitting Goncalves’ hand.
But NorthEast didn’t stop and were helped by Rehenesh’s wonderful goalkeeping. After all hat he had to endure under previous coach De Deus, the 24 year-old looked different between the sticks pulling up some fine saves to ensure his side a guaranteed win.
Resuming form the break they started similarly and went ahead in the 52nd minute when Doungel read Marcinho’s through ball and Kattimani’s out of position, to chip it over the rushing goalkeeper. The Brazilian then had a chance to score a second but his lob over the Goa custodian was well read by Kattimani who had his line and this was after his shot from an acute angle was parried away for a corner.
Fatigue then took a toll on Goa who were playing their second away match in the space of three days and after all the drama that had unfolded before their previous fixture, Sergio Lobera lashed out, “We were obviously pretty tired and it could be seen up there as well. However, even though we were tired we played well by working hard and creating chances on goal. But today football is unjust with us because we didn’t deserve to lose this game.”