India
Soham Varshneya's late winner lifts Bengaluru FC past FC Goa 2-1 amid throw-in row
A stoppage-time strike at Fatorda sent Bengaluru FC home with all three points and left Goa furious over how the decisive move began.
Desh Flash desk7 November 2026, 9:50 am IST2 minUpdated 7 November 2026, 9:50 am IST
Bengaluru FC snatched a 2-1 win at Fatorda on Friday, with Soham Varshneya finding the net in the third minute of stoppage time. It was the second successive game in which the Bengaluru side had scored in that closing window, and this time the goal came against FC Goa at the Nehru Stadium, leaving the home side convinced they had been robbed.
The match looked headed for a share of the points. Borja Martinez and Franchu traded goals in the first half, and the teams went into the break level at 1-1. Neither side could break the deadlock after the restart, and with four minutes added on, a draw seemed the most likely result until Varshneya, a late substitute, struck a low left-footed finish from close range.
The controversy started earlier in added time. Goa appealed for a penalty after KC Malsawmasanga went down under contact from Rickey Meitei, but referee Pratik Mondal waved the claims away. Bengaluru defender Chinglensana Singh then sent the ball out of play, which should have handed Goa a throw-in. Instead, Bengaluru took it quickly, and the move that followed ended with Varshneya's finish. Goa's players argued that the restart should never have been allowed, and their pleas for the referee to consult his assistant went unheeded. Several players, including captain Sandesh Jhingan, were among those protesting.
Strip away the row and the result still says something about the table. Bengaluru had created more clear-cut chances over the 90-plus minutes and hit the woodwork twice, with Ryan Williams and Sandro Embalo both denied. Goa had their moments, not least Franchu's composed equaliser after Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was caught off his line, and many observers will argue they deserved at least a point. For a side pushing for the top of the Indian Super League, though, the winner matters more than the process behind it.
That is the wider context for Bengaluru. The win moves them to within two points of ISL leaders Mohun Bagan, and they have a game in hand. In a title race that has been tight, that gap is the kind of margin that can shift in a single week, and a late, contested victory can keep a squad believing it is still in the chase. Goa, meanwhile, leave with questions about officiating and a sense that a home crowd's frustration may be the lasting image of the night.
For readers following the league, the match is a reminder of how fine the margins have become. A single throw-in, a disputed restart, and one powerful finish can decide a fixture that looked settled, and the outcome will feed into every conversation about the standings in the days ahead. The full match report is available on Times of India.
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