Borja Herrera’s scintillating hat-trick propelled FC Goa to a thrilling 3-2 victory over East Bengal in the Indian Super League (ISL) at the Salt Lake Stadium on Friday. The win marked Goa’s first triumph of the season, while East Bengal suffered their second consecutive defeat.
Goa dominated the proceedings from the outset, with their attacking trio of Dejan Drazic, Jorge Ortiz, and Borja Herrera causing constant problems for the East Bengal defense. In the 13th minute, Drazic’s low cross found Herrera unmarked in the box, and the Spaniard made no mistake in slotting the ball into the open goal.
East Bengal’s defense continued to struggle, and Herrera doubled Goa’s lead in the 29th minute. A defensive error by East Bengal’s Hijaji Meher allowed Herrera to pounce on the loose ball and fire it past goalkeeper Debjit Majumder.
East Bengal showed some fight and pulled one back through a penalty converted by Madih Talal in the 29th minute. However, Goa continued to press forward and restored their two-goal advantage in the 71st minute. Herrera completed his hat-trick with a fine solo effort, dribbling past several East Bengal defenders before unleashing a powerful shot into the bottom corner.
East Bengal reduced the deficit in the 85th minute when substitute David Lalhlansanga scored from close range. However, it was too little too late as Goa held on for a hard-fought victory.
Despite being reduced to 10 men in the 81st minute after Carl McHugh received a second yellow card, Goa defended resolutely to secure the three points. The win lifted Goa to seventh place in the ISL standings, while East Bengal remained rooted to the bottom of the table.
