In a thrilling curtain-raiser to the FC Goa campaign in the 2023-24 edition of the Indian Super League, the Gaurs secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Punjab FC in a tightly contested encounter at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda on Monday.

Spanish striker Carlos Martinez opened his own goal-scoring account in the league early on in the first half, and his strike ultimately proved to be the sole difference between the two sides.

The clash kicked off with intense energy as both teams vied for an early lead. In the 7th minute, a precise long ball from the midfield found Martinez, who headed it forward to Noah Sadaoui, who, however, miscued his final shot on goal.

The breakthrough came in the 17th minute, when Raynier Fernandes executed a clever one-two with Carl McHugh and set up Martinez with a perfect through-ball. The striker capitalised on the opportunity, making a run forward and finding the target.

Manolo Marquez’s boys continued to create opportunities, with Brandon Fernandes delivering a great cross in the 45th minute, volleyed on target by Noah Sadaoui, only to be denied by Punjab’s goalkeeper Kiran Limbu.

Poor finishing takes the shine off of Goa’s attacking gameplay

The second half witnessed relentless action as well, as both teams exchanged possession of the ball in phases. In the 50th minute, Raynier Fernandes sent in a long cross from the left edge of the pitch, finding Jay Gupta, who narrowly headed it wide of the mark.

The Gaurs remained on the offensive, combining their efforts through Brandon Fernandes and Noah Sadaoui, but the latter’s attempt off a cross from the captain in the 51st minute went off target.

A moment of suspense unfolded in the 64th minute when Luka Majcen found the target on the rebound after Arshdeep Singh made an exceptional save. However, the goal was disallowed as the Slovenian was deemed to be in an off-side position.

In the 65th minute, Noah Sadaoui made a valiant attempt to extend the lead for FC Goa as he latched on to a long ball from midfield, manoeuvred past two defenders, but ultimately missed the target.

The game continued to test both teams’ resilience, but the Men in Orange held their ground, ensuring they carried their early lead to victory. A late surge by the visitors created some tension among the home fans in the dying minutes, but ultimately it was the Gaurs who took home the three points to open their account on the ISL points’ table.