MARGAO: Striker Jaison Valles’s injury time brace helped
Churchill Bros overcome Santa Cruz Club, Cavelossim 2-1 in a GFA Kingfisher Pro League football match at panchayat ground, Raia, Tuesday. The teams were locked 1-1 at half time.
Dinesh Sakhalkar
HOLDING EACH OTHER: An embracing like
action at the Goa Pro League match between
Churchill Bros and St Cruz Cavelossim
players at Fatorda, Margao, Tuesday.
Churchill started technically, attacking from the flanks with captain Jaison Valles trying to penetrate the rival territory. In the 24th minute, Ajay Singh‘s snap shot was blocked by rival goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh. A minute later, Cavelossim keeper saved a well executed free kick by Xavier Kumar.
After the initial scare, Cavelossim regrouped with midfielder Wilton Gomes and Richard Colaco trying to break the deadlock, but Churchill goalkeeper Melroy Fernandes was up to the challenge.
Churchill took the lead in the 37th minute when substitute Amritpal’s venomous shot deflected both off the keeper as well as a defender and striker Jaison Valles gently headed in. However, their lead neutralised in the 42nd minute when Cavelossim’s striker Agnelo D’Souza beautifully headed home a well executed cross from Nigerian substitute Monday Ugboji.
In the second half, both teams showed urgency to score but their efforts hit the crossbar. First, Cavelossim’s Plecio Carvalho curled in a free kick that hit the horizontal and later a rasping shot by Churchill’s Jaison kissed the post. With time running out, the Mariano Dias coached Varca outfit came up with the winner in injury time after Xavier Kumar set up a ball to Amritpal who in turn relayed it to Jaison Valles to register his brace.
With this win, Churchill took their tally to 13 points from seven matches while Santa Cruz Club, Cavelossim stay with six points from eight outings.
