“FC Goa Sign Off in Style with 2-0 Win Over Mohammedan SC”
March 4, 2025 – Goa, India: FC Goa bid farewell to their faithful – for the time being, that is – in emphatic fashion, securing a commanding 2-0 victory over Mohammedan SC in their final home fixture of the league campaign.
The win, their fifth on the trot and 14th overall this season, solidified their second-place finish in the standings with 48 points from 23 matches.
With qualification already sealed, head coach Manolo Marquez rang in the changes, handing starts to debutant goalkeeper Lara Sharma and young full-back Sanatomba Singh among others.
Later in the game, academy graduate Prachit Gaonkar marked a historic moment, becoming the first player to rise through the Club’s ranks from U-13 to the first team and make his ISL debut.
Once the referee blew his whistle to kick-start the clash, the Men in Orange wasted little time asserting their dominance, launching wave after wave of attacks.
Within the first 10 minutes, Rowllin Borges, Boris Singh and Iker Guarrotxena all came close, testing Mohammedan SC’s resilience.
The visitors, too, showed glimpses of fight, with striker Carlos França narrowly missing the target from a free kick in the 9th minute.
However, FC Goa’s relentless pressure finally paid dividends in the 40th minute when Guarrotxena, with his impeccable sense of positioning, nodded home a precise header into the top corner.
The move was poetry in motion – Dejan Drazic played a short corner and received a pass back before looping in a sumptuous outside-of-the-boot cross into the box, and Ayush Chhetri rose highest to flick it toward Guarrotxena, who made no mistake.
The PJN Stadium then erupted in celebration as the Gaurs took a deserved lead into the break.
The second half saw more of the same, as Goa continued to dictate terms.
Armando Sadiku came close in the 48th minute, his header forcing a sharp save from Mohammedan SC’s custodian Padam Chhetri.
The visitors nearly clawed their way back into the contest when Sajad Parray’s header sailed just wide in the 54th minute, but that was as close as they came.
In the 86th minute, the hosts wrapped up the win in dramatic fashion.
Borja Herrera whipped in a menacing delivery from a corner, finding Guarrotxena once again at the back post.
His header struck the post, and in a desperate attempt to keep it out, Mohammedan goalkeeper Chhetri inadvertently turned the ball into his own net.
The scoreboard read 2-0, and the Gaurs knew they had sealed the perfect send-off for their fans.
And now, with just one league fixture remaining against Mohun Bagan Super Giant on Saturday, FC Goa will look to finish their campaign on a high before returning home for the all-important ISL Cup semi-finals
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