Team Herald
MAPUSA: Sporting Clube de Goa registered a thumping 4-1 win over Panjim Footballers in the Goa Professional League match, organised by Goa Football Association, played under the floodlights at Duler Stadium, Mapusa, on Wednesday
Sporting started the match on attacking note as they completely dominated the first few minutes in the opponent’s half. However, it was Panjim who looked at the goal for the first as Prisco Moura sent a low shot on the goal from the top of the box but the Sporting keeper made a brilliant save to push it for a corner.
At the other end, Sporting once again tried to control the match and came up with a golden opportunity when the skipper Victorino was nicely set up in the box by Quan but the latter saw his sparkling shot hit the crossbar and came back into play.
However, a few minutes later, Victorino brilliantly control Marcus Mascarenhas’ header pass in the box before finishing it in the back of the nylons making it 1-0 for Sporting.
With just five more minutes on the match clock, Nigerian striker Abiola made it 2-0 with an individual effort as the striker made a swift run after getting hold of the loose ball in the halfway line and made no mistake to shoot past Panjim keeper Gurpreet Singh.
In the added time of the first half, Marcus added his name on the score sheet with a smart goal from inside the box as his powerful shot found the net after he was fed by Abiola with a cut-back pass in the box.
On crossing over, Sporting almost dominated the entire session and scored their fourth goal in the 70th minutes when Marcus once again beat the Panjim custodian Gurpreet with a neat shot from inside the box. Abiola was the architect of the goal with a smart pass in the box.
Panjim also had few chances in the dying minutes of the match but poor finishing restricted them from finding the net. In one of these, just-in Ruflon was in the commanding position to score but the striker failed to direct his shot on the goal from 6-yards.
However, Ruflon reduced the margin for his side in the added time when his low shot from the 25-yard free-kick beat the Sporting keeper Ozen and entered the goal making it 4-1 for the Panjim.
