Goa draw with ATK, move to second in ISL standings
Penalty claim, missed chances in exciting but barren draw
FC Goa and ATK meet, sparks fly but the match usually ends in a draw; seven of the 11 between them have. Keeping FC Goa quiet was an achievement but time will tell whether this was a point won or two lost, said ATK coach Steve Coppell after Wednesday’s 0-0 result.
The visitors can feel aggrieved at being denied a penalty in the 66th minute when Manvir Singh’s shot hit Andre Bikey’s flailing hand and could have killed the match before the first quarter had Seriton Fernandes and Serigne Fall not hit the sidenetting on either side of Arindam Bhattacharja’s goal.
“When a penalty is obvious and the referee doesn’t give it, there is not much you can say. Can’t risk suspension by saying anything else,” said FC Goa coach Sergio Lobera whose team is now second with 17 points at the halfway stage. ATK are on 12.
But after those early blemishes ATK not only managed to contain a team that has scored 22 goals but through the trio of Jayesh Rane, Everton Santos and Manuel Lanzarote asked a number of questions of their own.
Getting his place back in the starting line-up after six games Rane made telling contributions. It produced an Everton Santos toe-poke that missed narrowly and had another attempt by the Brazilian that FC Goa goalie Mohammad Nawaz saved. To the third, Manuel Lanzarote, again at the heart of ATK’s initiatives going forward, fired off target.FC Goa ended the first half with Ferran Corominas finally being in a position to shoot at goal. That it was Corominas’s most telling contribution of the evening told its own story.By snuffing out Ahmed Jahouh’s ability to create from the deep and keeping a check on Edu Bedia, ATK suffocated Corominas who had scored 26 goals in 27 games going into Wednesday’s game.
The bulk of the job was done by central midfielders Pronay Haldar and Vieira who stayed close to central defenders Bikey and John Johnson and by Rane tracking back.After an even first half, ATK were off the blocks faster. Nawaz’s right boot denied Rane in the 54th minute after Santos and Lanzarote had combined to put him in the clear.
Lanzarote free-kicks then caused FC Goa a lot of stress but poor finishing by Bikey and Vieira and a superb Fall clearance denied ATK a goal in their final home game of the year.