Ten-man SC East Bengal almost pulled off an upset against FC Goa before settling for a 1-1 draw in an ISL 2020-21 encounter at the Tilak Maidan stadium in Goa.
SCEB's new recruit Bright Enobakhare scored a brilliant solo goal dribbling past four FC Goa defenders and the goalkeeper to put his team ahead in the 79th minute. But their joy was short-lived as FC Goa equalised in the 81st minute through super-sub Devendra Murgaonkar.
But FC Goa will be ruing their missed chances in the match, especially the first half. They had nine shots on target in the match but had only one goal to show for their efforts. Credit must go to SCEB goalkeeper Debjit Maumder who pulled off four crucial saves to keep his team in the match.
East Bengal had to play much of their second half with 10 men after skipper Daniel Fox was given the marching orders for a foul on Alexander Jesuraj in the 56th minute.
FC Goa dominated the first half, keeping possession and creating chances but couldn't find a way to score. The first big chance of the game came in the fourth minute for FC Goa after Scott Neville tripped Jorge Ortiz Mendoza. Brandon Fernandes took the free-kick and swung a teasing cross at the far post for James Donachie, whose header was parried away by Majumder.
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FC Goa continued to play in the opposition half after that early chance but SCEB defended resolutely despite being on the backfoot. However, the Red and Gold outfit also missed two back-to-back chances to grab the lead around the half-hour mark from set-pieces.
Aaron Amadi-Holloway first missed an open header from a free-kick. A minute later, SCEB won a throw-in, and Raju Gaikwad found an unmarked Daniel Fox at the far post but failed to keep his shot on target.
FC Goa continued to pile on the pressure on their opponents after the change of ends. But SCEB's hopes of grabbing control of the game suffered a huge blow when Fox was sent off in the 56th minute.
Despite the man-advantage, a defensive error from Goa almost gifted SCEB the lead. Matti Steinmann pounced on a sloppy pass from Princeton Rebello and made his way into the box before firing his shot wide. SCEB soon made amends for the missed opportunity as they scored the opener.
Enobakhare displayed a moment of magic and made his way into the box beating four markers before placing his shot into the bottom corner as he finished off a stunning solo goal. But FC Goa soon drew parity as SCEB's defence was caught napping.
Saviour Gama delivered a cross at the near post and Murgaonkar rose high to put FC Goa on level terms. Both sides continued to hunt for the winner but in the end, settled for a draw.
(With PTI inputs)
