FC Goa secured their place at the top of the ISL table with a 1-0 home win against second-placed Kerala Blasters FC on Sunday. The Kochi side, which have not won an away fixture against the Gaurs since 2016, couldn't find the attacking instinct to turn around the goal deficit.
It was Rowlin Borges who gave FC Goa the decisive lead in the first-half added time. KBFC looked sloppy in defending setpieces throughout the first half and paid the price by leaving Borges unmarked inside the box after having conceded a free-kick near the box. Goa's No. 18 effortlessly rolled the ball past Sachin Suresh to help his team end the half strongly.
KBFC's best chance also came in the first half when Kwame Peprah's solo run through the right wing brought him one-on-one with custodian Arshdeep Singh. Although the Ghanese striker beat Singh, the shot went wide of the far post by a whisker.
Sandesh Jhingan-led Goa defence contained the Kerala attack effectively in the second half to remain unbeaten in the league. The former KBFC man was elected Man of the Match as his team's tally reached 19 points from 7 games.
The second-placed KBFC have 17 points from 9 games.
