FC Goa beat FC Pune City 4-2 in a high-scoring match to climb back to the top of the Indian Super League football standings, in Margao, on Sunday.
The match saw six goals being scored in the first 35 minutes and teams reduced to 10 men towards the final whistle.
Ferran Corominas (5th and 35th) struck twice and goals from Hugo Boumous and Jackichand Singh gave the home side their third win. Marcelinho (8th) and Emiliano Alfaro (23rd) scored for the visitors who remain winless.
Diego Carlos and Corominas were sent off late in the match as both teams finished the game with just 10 men.
Just like he had done against Mumbai, Corominas gave the Gaurs an early lead. A well-worked Goa move in the fifth minute saw Ahmed Jahouh release the Spaniard behind the Pune defence and the striker held off Gurtej Singh before making a smart finish past Vishal Kaith.
The Stallions hit back immediately though, as Marcelinho beat an outstretched Mohammad Nawaz with a brilliant chipped finish into the top-right corner.
FC Goa retook the lead in the 12th minute through another well-worked move as Coro turning provider this time. Boumous delivered an inch-perfect cross back to the midfielder to head past Kaith.
Coro had a second assist to his name just minutes later after he sprung the off-side trap before laying the ball for Jackichand to smash into an empty net.
It was a game of shaky defences as Pune once again responded in kind, this time due to an error by Mohammad Nawaz. The young goalkeeper was at fault after he was beaten at his near post by a fierce Alfaro shot.
A frantic first period saw attacks from both sides thrive as chances kept coming with regularity at each end but it was the home side who extended the lead with Coro bagging his second of the night following a goalmouth melee.
The second half started just as frantically as the first with Alfaro and Marko Stankovic coming close to reducing Pune's arrears on separate occasions.
Alfaro then earned a penalty for the visitors when he went down under Chinglensana Singh's challenge after the defender had lost possession. However, Nawaz pulled off a fine save from his spot-kick to preserve Goa's two-goal lead. A goal-line clearance by Ashutosh Mehta at the other end denied Coro his hat-trick.
The visitors finished the game with 10 men after Diego Carlos was shown a straight red for his knee-high challenge on Seriton Fernandes.
Goa's night would be marred towards the end as Coro was also shown a straight red card after he slid into a tackle on Stankovic with his studs raised.
Naorem's brace ensures Shillong Lajong prevail in northeast derby
Naorem Mahesh Singh did the star turn for Shillong Lajong, helping the hosts prevail over Aizawl FC 2-1 in the season's first northeast derby of the I-League in Shillong.
At the near-packed JLN stadium, Mahesh scored two brilliant goals in either half to clinch full three points for his side.
Aizawl's Liberian striker Ansumanah Kromah got one back for the visitors but it was not enough.
The young Shillong Lajong side, not fielding any foreigners this season and playing as many as nine U-22 players in the starting XI, ensured that the fans had enough to rejoice.
Defending champions Minerva Punjab split points with Churchill Brothers
Defending champions Minerva Punjab kicked off their campaign by playing out a goal-less draw with Churchill Brothers in the I-League.
The two sides split points at the end of 90 minutes, in a match characterised by many missed chances and a lack of imagination in attack.
Churchill Brothers gave a good account of themselves while Minerva showed glimpses of what they are capable of in the second half, but both teams failed to break the deadlock at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium.
Irish UEFA Pro license holder Paul Munster, Minerva's newly appointed technical director and coach Sachin Badadhe, chose to go in with an attacking formation with Nigerian Philip Njoku and the young and talented Souvik Das as wing backs in front of a three-man deep defense led by Ivorian Lancine Toure.
Akash Sangwan and the mercurial Nongdamba Naoren, also their under-22 start of the day, were played as attacking left and right wingers. William Opoku Asiedu and Manandeep Singh were the target men upfront.
Churchill also had a new coach for the season in Romanian Petre Gigiu and he opted for a more conservative 4-4-2 formation with Trinidadian Willis Plaza and and Gambian Dawda Cessay upfront with a four-man midfield led by Ugandan Khalid Aucho and Richard Costa at its heart.
Indian women's U-19 football team beats Thailand but fails to advance to next round
The Indian women's team registered a 1-0 upset win over Thailand but failed to advance to the next round of the AFC U-19 Championship Qualifiers in Chonburi.
Grace Lalrampari scored the lone goal in the 36th minute to put India on level points with both Thailand and Nepal. But, India could not make it to the Round 2 of the Qualifiers courtesy their head-to-head result against Nepal.
When the goal difference of these three teams were counted, Thailand secured the top spot with a plus 2, while India and Nepal were tied at minus 1. Due to this, the head-to-head result between India and Nepal came into play again, and the Himalayan nation went through.
Although Thailand dominated possession, the Indian players worked hard to close down the gaps in the middle of the park.
