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[caption id="attachment_24685" align="alignnone" width="580"] Sammehg Doutie after scoring the goal for ATK. Image Source: Hero ISL[/caption] Internet Desk: Last year’s runners up in Indian Super League FC Goa salvaged a draw against hosts Atletico de Kolkata at Rabindra Sarobar stadium on Sunday. The home team took the lead through a sensational strike by Sammehg Doutie in the 6^th minute while the Goan outfit managed to score the equalizer through a penalty by Joffre Ganzalez in the 77^th minute. The draw left Atletico with 6 points from four matches while FC Goa collected its first point after losing their first three matches.

The atmosphere at the Rabindra Sarobar Stadium was electrifying as the home team Atletico de Kolkata hosted an out-of-form FC Goa line-up here at the city of joy on Sunday. The team from Panaji desperately needed to bag three points from Kolkata if it wanted to stay alive in the 2016 edition of the Hero Indian Super League.

While FC Goa Head Coach, Zico seemed quite confident at the pre-match press conference on Saturday about his team’s change of fortunes against the inaugural champions on Sunday, his counterpart Jose Molina made it clear that his side won’t suffer from complacency against FC Goa despite their poor start.

At first, Atletico de Kolkata saw Stephen Pearson being issued the marching orders for a foul on Trindade Goncalves in the 53rd minute but any advantage that FC Goa would have had was negated after Sanjay Balmuchu was sent off nine minutes later for a second bookable offence.

However, Zico’s men who had nothing to lose from the fixture kept the pressure almost constant on the Atletico de Kolkata defence. FC Goa’s Brazilian forward, Rafael Coelho came extremely close to pulling one back for his side a couple of times but was denied by an Arnab Mondal goal-line save at the 16th-minute mark and an agonisingly close shot at the 35th-minute mark.

ATK’s Abinash Ruidas looked extremely promising at the left flank while his Spanish comrade, Javier Lara Grande also managed to please the crowd at the Rabindra Sarobar Stadium in Kolkata courtesy a number of successful run-ins and tempting crosses from the right-hand side of the pitch.

India international, Robin Singh was denied by a sensational save by Debjit Majumder around the 40th-minute mark as the score at half-time remained 1-0 in favour of Molina’s men.

Atletico de Kolkata dominated the initial phase of the second half looking to re-run their style of play and put the final nail in FC Goa’s coffin. The side’s captain, Borja Fernandez came agonisingly close to putting his team well in front ahead as his shot whizzed above the goalpost in the 51st minute.

The match referee, Fernando Guerrero Ramirez had to make some tough decisions within a span of ten minutes into the second half as Atletico de Kolkata’s Stephen Pearson and FC Goa’s Sanjay Balmuchu were shown the door in the 52nd and 60th minutes of the match respectively.

After trailing for the majority of the fixture, Goa finally managed to come on level terms with the home side as its Spanish midfielder Joffre Gonzalez successfully converted a penalty in the 72nd minute.

The final 18 minutes of the encounter witnessed a string of Atletico de Kolkata attacks with some occasional FC Goa outbreaks now and then.

The visitors were lucky to escape with a point after scoring the equaliser from the spot in the 77th minute. Goa won the penalty as Borja Fernandez handled the ball from a Joffre corner-kick and Joffre himself completed the formalities from the spot. Atletico de Kolkata could have walked away with full points but Goa goalkeeper Choudhury came up with two good saves to deny Lara, from a free-kick, and Iain Hume.

With three consecutive losses it was no surprise that FC Goa chief coach Zico decided to ring in the changes. There were five changes for the visitors as Zico preferred to hand starts to the likes of Subashish Roy Choudhury, Gregory Arnolin, Keenan Almeida and Robin Singh, all making their debuts in this edition of the ISL. Atletico de Kolkata also made three changes with Stephen Pearson, Abinash Ruidas and Henrique Sereno handed starts for the first time.