MAPUSA: Football Club De Bardez managed to earn a point as they held Vasco Sports Club to a 1-1 draw in the GFA’s Taca Goa U-20 Cup played at Duler Stadium, here, on Monday.
The Bardez colts now have six points from five matches while Vasco SC have five points out of four matches.
Vasco SC surprised their rivals very early in the match as in the 4th minute of play Rajan Yadav flashed a pinpoint cross to Kingslee Fernandes right inside the danger zone, who fired home a powerful right footer to send their supporters into raptures, 1-0.
Thereon, both sides adapted to midfield play with both keepers hardly being tested.
In the add on time of the first half, Rajan and Kingslee once again combined well and managed to sneak past the Bardez defenders Lalbabu Mantd and Cavin Soares only to see the latter’s low shot sail inches past the FC Bardez goal.
Crossing over, FC Bardez coach Climax Lawrence bolstered his attack by bringing in Latesh Mandrekar and Kirtikesh Gadekar from the bench.
The move paid off wherein the 54th minute, Latesh Mandrekar unleashed a rasping shot from the edge of the penalty area which was cleanly collected by Vasco keeper Darshan Ambore.
Couple of minutes later, the referee found Vasco SC’s Manashawn Fernandes guilty of viciously tackling FC Bardez’s Rajan around 30-yard from the goal and signalled for a direct kick.
Savior Gama took up the responsibility of the kick and brilliantly curled the ball into the far corner of the Vasco SC goal, 1-1.
FC Bardez came twice teasingly close to turning the match in their favour, however, first Manjunath Rathod faltered in directing his header off Kirtikesh Gadekar’s cross into the nets and then Savior Gama saw his free-kick bang the Vasco SC woodwork.
