Goa blank Tamilnadu to qualify for next round of Santosh trophy 2022-23 [Watch Highlights]

Ravish Narvekar

The Western Coastal side earned the spot in the next round through a better goal difference over Nagaland in the Group III.

Goa secured qualification for the next round of the Santosh Trophy as they eased past Tamilnadu by a 3-0 margin in the Senior National Football Championship 2022-23 Group III match played at SAI Training Center Kokrajhar Assam. The win helped the Goans to finish at the top of the table with 11 points from five matches, while Nagaland were dropped to second who also has equal points but the better goal difference helped the Western Coastal side to march forward.

Goans were leading at the half time by a solitary goal thanks to Trijoy Dias who broke the deadlock in the 12th minute. Mohammed Faheez doubled their tally after scoring from the spot in the 48th minute, while he completed his brace in the 62nd minute with a smart finish to ensure full points and qualification to the next round of the SNFC.

Goans had a couple of changes to their side which were held to a goalless draw by Nagaland in their last match as Vasim Inamdar and Kirtikesh Gadekar made the start for the Western Coastal side, while Tamilnadu coach Rajendran Johnson fielded almost the same XI which lost to Assam in the previous round match.

The Western Coastal side started the attacks from the kickoff and came close to opening their tally twice in the first 10 minutes. In one of them, Trijoy Dias made a through pass to Stendly Fernandes in the box but Tamilnadu defender S Ghuhan Raj made a timely clearance. However, it was just 12 minutes on the match clock when the Goans surged ahead through Trijoy. The winger was nicely fed with a long cross by Shallum Pires where the lad brilliantly controlled the ball and made a clinical finish from inside the box to put his side ahead.

The Southern side also came close to equalizing in the 19th minute when a long ball by A Ruban was smartly chested down to Gerald Mathew by Shem Marton Eugene but the midfielder shot over the crossbar from the top of the box.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCjwK5P48rQ

Senior National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy 2022-23: Tamilnadu vs Goa [Highlights]

Trijoy should have put Goa in the driver's seat in the 27th minute when he was set up with just a rival keeper to beat by a Kirtikesh with a brilliant short pass but the winger this time shot wide from close range. A minute later Stendly tried his luck from distance but Tamilnadu keeper Vishnuprasath came with a diving effort to push a goalbound strike for a corner.

Another breathtaking opportunity went into vain for the Western Coastal side in the 32nd minute as Trijoy made a short pass to onrushing Liston Cardozo who cut past two but instead of assisting well-positioned Stendly the right back went for glory only to see it miss by a whisker. A few minutes later, Stendly well-combined with Mohammed Faheez at the centre where Faheez sent a through pass to the forward but Tamil keeper Vishnuprasath came off his line to collect the ball before the Goan forward could extend the lead for his side.

Tamil keeper Vishnuprasath came with another brilliant save in the 41st minute as a curling strike by Vasim was divingly pushed away by the custodian to limit the damage to his side. They once again came close to doubling their lead in the added minutes of the session as this time Trijoy tried to set up Stendly with a through pass in the box but Tamilnadu defender Guhan made a timely interception as Goa managed to lead by a solitary goal at the halftime.

Goan gaffer Norberto Gonsalves brought in Clencio Pinto replacing Vasim at halftime to sharpen them in the attack and the result of changes by the Goan coach impacted in the very first minute of the second session. Faheez sent an excellent through pass to Stendly who easily cut past Tamilnadu’s onrushing keeper Vishnuprasath and set up Clencio with a cutback. The substitute’s goalbound strike was handled by Tamilnadu skipper Arun Gilbert inside the box to give away the penalty kick. Faheez stepped forward and calmly sent the rival keeper Vishnuprasath the wrong way from the spot to make it 2-0 for Goa in the 48th minute.

Goan keeper Sanij Bugde who was hardly tested in the first session, came with a breathtaking save in the 62nd minute to deny Tamilnadu midfielder Chequvara M’s goalbound long-ranger. Goan once again came into the action in the 64th minute when they were awarded a freekick just outside the box as Tamilnadu keeper Vishnuprasath collected the ball outside the box. Goa’s Shallum went for the glory from the set-piece but custodian Vishnuprasath brilliantly blocked his goalbound strike for a corner.

However, Goans managed to further extend their lead in the 68th minute as Trijoy’s inch-perfect through pass inside the box was smartly tapped in by Faheez from close to make it 3-0 for the Western Coastal side. Goans had few more opportunities to expand their lead in the last few minutes but aimless strikes from their attackers and timely clearances from Tamilnadu’s last line restricted the score line.

The Deputy Chairman, Coaching & Technical Committee, GFA, Cosme Oliveira was happy following the state’s qualification to the next round as he said “I am happy to see that Goa are through to the next round of Santosh Trophy. I always believed that our boys will make it to the next round. The real test will start from here as the next round will be more difficult but I am sure that our boys will not disappoint us.”

Highlights Video & Standings: SportsCast India