Durand Cup: FC Goa bounce back with a 1-0 win over IAF

Kolkata: Defending Champions FC Goa bounced back from their opening day loss as they eked out a 1-0 win over Indian Air Force at the Durand Cup here on Friday.

Muhammed Nemil was the lone goal scorer at a rainy, blustery Kishore Bharati Krirangan here.

In the other match of the day, Sudeva FC and Kerala Blasters played out a 1-1 draw at the Indira Gandhi Athletic stadium in Guwahati.

With the win, Goa join Mohammedan Sporting and Bengaluru FC with three points in Group A, even though the latter have a game in hand.

Jamshedpur FC is the other team in the group. The top two teams from each Group qualify for the quarter-finals.

The Gaurs got their goal early through Nemil, who struck his second in two games in the tournament.

The move came from the right when Mevan Dias broke through and delivered a minus inside the box finding his classy centre-forward in space. Nemil turned, transferred the ball to his favoured left-foot and found the bottom corner with precision.

He could have made it three for the tournament 15 minutes later, but this time his curler from just outside the box, missed narrowly.

In the second-half, the Airmen did try and apply some pressure but the organised and well-schooled Gaurs defence held firm.

The Air Force upped the ante in search for an equaliser and in the final 10 minutes got several chances to draw level. Mohd. Aqib first hit the cross-bar and then substitute Prabhjot Singh unleashed a wonderful free-kick, drawing a fantastic save from Goa keeper Hrithik Tiwari. The Air Force got as many as three corners as well in the last few minutes but couldn't cash in.