FC Goa head coach Manolo Marquez felt his team ‘deserved to win’ against Mumbai City FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 season on Wednesday, after a commanding second-half display by the Gaurs resulted in them sharing the spoils with the Islanders in a 1-1 draw.

Not even a minute had passed after kick-off in the second half at the Mumbai Football Arena, when Vikram Partap Singh gave the hosts the lead. But it was all FC Goa from there as the Men in Orange equalised through Mohammad Yasir in the 61st minute.

Borja Herrera’s and Boris Singh’s shots unfortunately struck the goalposts, while Rowllin Borges’ headed attempt early on in the first half was stopped by the crossbar.

“I think that when Mumbai scored their goal – this was after three defeats for us – we really needed to be the FC Goa from the first half of the season. My feeling is that we deserved to win. We hit the posts and the bar a few times. In the first half as well, Mumbai may have enjoyed more possession of the ball, but they did not create many chances despite having many players who can score goals,” Marquez said at the post-match press conference.

“Yes, it’s true that at least we earned a point. But we’re not satisfied with that, though we’re happy with the performance especially in the second half,” he added.

The tactician also spoke about Borja and Yasir, whose performances stood out on Wednesday night. “If you see the reaction in Kerala (during the game against Kerala Blasters on Sunday), Borja had left the pitch due to injury and was unable to play. Even the team doctor and physio suggested that it’s better if he doesn’t play tonight. We’re all aware of his quality. He played the last few minutes, did well and came very close to scoring.

“Another piece of very good news for us is that we are recovering the best version of Yasir. After a difficult phase with Hyderabad FC, he is now showing his quality. He has, perhaps, the best left foot in the country,” Manolo Marquez commented.

The Spaniard signed off by praising the team for their efforts. “The same (as spoken above) goes for the entire team. We played a good game,” he concluded.

FC Goa will return to action in the ISL next Wednesday, when they host East Bengal FC at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda. The reverse fixture, played in October last year, saw the Gaurs script a memorable comeback victory.