Punjab FC beat Churchill Brothers 3-2 at Fatorda with 95th-minute winner
Punjab FC defeated Churchill Brothers 3-2 at the Fatorda Stadium in Goa in a 2026-27 Indian Super League match on Sunday, 25 October 2026. Substitute Konsam Sanathoi Singh scored the decisive goal in the 95th minute after Raphael Messi Bouli (13') and Alfred Planas (40') had given Punjab a 2-0 lead and Sebastian Gutierrez replied with a brace for the hosts.
Churchill Brothers mounted two comebacks during the first half but ultimately could not hold on, losing their second straight match since their arrival in the league. Punjab extended their winning run in the 2026-27 ISL and moved level at the top of the table. The match produced sustained end-to-end football rather than conservative defending from either side.
Sebastian Gutierrez continued a productive start to the season by scoring twice for Churchill Brothers, returning to form after a slow outing against East Bengal and following the influence he showed in the season opener against Mumbai City FC. Gutierrez’s movement and timing inside the penalty area created chances and enabled the hosts to recover from two goals down. Despite his efforts to set up team-mates and find scoring opportunities, Churchill failed to salvage a point when Sanathoi struck late.
Punjab manager Pavlos Dermitzakis introduced 19-year-old Konsam Sanathoi Singh at the beginning of the second half, and the substitute began to trouble defenders with forward runs into the final third. In the 95th minute Sanathoi latched onto Messi Bouli’s pass and slotted the ball home; protests from Churchill Brothers players claiming a handball were waved away by the referees and the goal stood. The 19-year-old now has two goal involvements in his last two appearances as a substitute for Punjab FC.
The contest was open and attacking from both teams, with defensive work questioned as each side looked to advance quickly after regaining possession. Neither side sat back after taking the lead, and Churchill Brothers continued to press for chances until the final whistle. The match featured 21 shot attempts and 11 on target.
Raphael Messi Bouli, aged 34, scored from the penalty spot and played a role in Punjab’s other goals, producing the long-distance effort that reached Alfred Planas for his strike and providing the pass that set up Sanathoi’s winner. Messi Bouli had blanked in the previous game against Mumbai City FC but has since registered four goal involvements (three goals, one assist) in three appearances in the 2026-27 ISL.
Punjab’s stoppage-time winner preserved their unbeaten start to the campaign and left them joint top of the ISL table, while Churchill Brothers registered their second straight defeat since joining the league. The result keeps Punjab on a winning run in the 2026-27 ISL and delivers a late setback for the hosts.
