Marcelo inspires Delhi to 2-0 win

Rahul Goyal / ISL/ SPORTZPICS

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Marcelo Leite Pereira came off the bench to inspire Delhi Dynamos to their second win of the season and inflict more misery on FC Goa who continue to remain at the bottom of the points table.

Two goals inside five minutes from Marcelo and Richard Gadze in the second half saw Delhi take three points after a run of five games without a win. They had failed to win after their opening day 3-1 victory over Chennaiyin FC and after four draws from their last five games before today, this win takes them into the top four.

Goa, however, have five defeats in the season and have failed to win a single game at home. The prospect of qualifying for the play-offs looks all but gone for Zico's men.

Goa started off the brighter of the two sides with both Romeo Fernandes and Mandar Rao Desai starting on the wings and Julio Cesar and Rafael Coelho accompanying them in attack. Delhi kept Marcelo and David Addy on the bench, with Bruno Pelissari staring on the left and Konsham Singh making it into the starting 11.

Goa almost took the lead in the 5th minute but were denied by Anas Edathodika's goal-line clearance. Jofre put Rafael Coelho through, who clipped the ball over an onrushing Toni Doblas, only to be denied by Anas who had watched the ball all the way.

Anas has been Delhi's best player whenever he has started and Goa found it very difficult to open the scoring against a solid back four.

For Delhi, It was Richard Gadze who not only had the highest number of shots at goal, but the Ghanaian also came close to scoring for Delhi at the end of the first half.

Half way through the first half, Goa came close to taking the lead twice. First, it was Romeo who dribbled past two Delhi players on the right wing, passing to Trindade whose cross into the box was cleared. The rebound was perfect for a half-volley but was miscued by Rafael Coelho. Minutes later, Mandar had a rasping left-footed shot from 30 yards out hit the post.

As the first half came to a close, fellow Goan Romeo hit an angled shot from the right flank which Doblas saved, but the referee gave a goal-kick to Delhi instead.

The introduction of Marcelo and Kean Lewis made all the difference in the second half. Goa came close to scoring just before they came on in the 58th minute through Rafael. It was Mandar's long cross from the left that grazed Julio Cesar's head before evading Rafael's diving attempt to give Goa the lead.

But the moment Bruno Pelissari went off for Marcelo in the 60th minute, Delhi suddenly looked like a better team. Within four minutes of his arrival, Marcelo registered two shots on goal, one of which was denied by Raju Gaikwad while the other was thwarted by the keeper Subasish Roy Chowdhury.

Goa had two chances of their own after that, a flick from Luciano Sabrosa that was saved by the keeper and a penalty appeal that was not given, but Delhi held on.

A long ball from keeper Doblas met Marcelo, who dribbled past three Goa defenders - no doubt helped by Gadze's run which deceived two defenders - to take a rasping shot from the left corner of the box that went past Subasish's left. That was his fourth goal of the season.

Four minutes later, Marcelo turned provider as Delhi doubled the lead through Richard Gadze. It was Florent Malouda who picked Marcelo unmarked on the right hand side of the box, and the goal-scorer headed it back to Gadze, who smashed it into the back of the net.

With 15 minutes to go, Goa huffed and puffed but failed to create any chances to eventually fall to their fifth defeat of the season. They still remain at the bottom of the table with 4 points with FC Pune City just above them with 6 points.