Pradyum Reddy sees improvement in his side, Sergio Lobera delighted with the performances

Both of the sides were awarded a red card by the referee in the game. 

FC Goa overcame a fighting Pune City side 4-2 to register their third win in four matches. The Gaurs needed a brace from Ferran Corominas and goals from Jackichand Singh and Hugo Boumous to gain all three points. Pradyum Reddy’s team, on the other hand, were in the hunt with goals from Marcelinho and Emiliano Alfaro. However, his side failed to convert the chances obtained, with Alfaro missing a penalty in the second half. The entertaining game also saw two red cards, with Ferran Corominas being sent off shortly after Pune City’s Diego Carlos.

 

 

 

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Watch: FC Goa 4-2 FC Pune City highlights

Pradyum Reddy felt like his side were in it with a chance till the latter stages of the game. “I think the penalty was the turning point of the game. Had that gone in, we were about to make certain substitutions and possibly could have drawn the game or probably even won it," Reddy said.

The interim coach felt his team had improved despite the loss. The former Bengaluru FC man explained, “We scored one goal in the first three games, we scored two today against one of the best teams in the league, one of the fittest teams in the league."

"That gives us confidence. You could see the work-rate, you could see the combinations between Marcelinho, Alfaro and the others. That is a positive we are going to take from this game going into the next game," he added.

The 42-year-old also justified his approach to the game. “With FC Goa winning the last game 5-0, the temptation would have been to sit back and park the bus. But, the position we are in the table and the players we have, I think it was better suited for us to make it an open game," Reddy quipped.

"But, when we make it an open game against Goa, you are likely to give them a lot of chances. We would have liked to press them on opportunities throughout because when we did press them, we did get a lot of opportunities to score. But, we are not in the shape at the moment, fitness-wise to press for 45 minutes, let alone 90 minutes," he added.

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For Sergio Lobera, it was the third consecutive win that sent them to the top of the table. However, a late red card to Corominas was a stain on an otherwise delightful evening.

“Evidently it’s bad news for us because we are losing a player who is very good. In my opinion, had the other team not received a red card, with all the respect to the referees, I don’t think he would have given Coro a red card either," Lobera expressed.

The third consecutive victory puts FC Goa on top of the table with a goal difference of +9.  “I am happy with the performances of the team. We have scored nine goals in two home games so far. But, we have played a very open game today, where the other team were also given opportunities and two goals they scored were due to tiny little mistakes which cost us. This is something we need to obviously change and improve upon," the Spaniard added.

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The Gaurs are a side feared by all teams in the league due to their fierce attacking style of play. When asked whether he likes the tag on his team the Spaniard answered, “The idea is always to go out there and play on the front foot, play an attacking brand of football. It’s not about liking or not liking, it is just about ensuring that we do it in the best possible manner.”

FC Goa visit Jamshedpur to face the Men of Steel on 1st November, while Pune City welcome Kerala Blasters to the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex the next day.