MARGAO: A brilliant hat-trick from substitute striker Dawson Fernandes powered Salgaocar Football Club to a resounding 8-0 victory over Santa Cruz Club of Cavelossim to emerge champions in the Goa Pro League (Super league), at Holy Trinity ground, Benaulim, on Friday.
Salgaocar led 3-0 at the breather.
Such was Salgaocar’s domination, especially in the first half that they would have put Santa Cruz Club of Cavelossim down by six goals with the splendid performance of the strikers Ivory Coast’s Douhou Pieree, Saran Singh, Darryl Duffy and Jason Barbosa but the luck favoured the losers.
Cavelossim forwards were often left for themselves as their midfield was outplayed by Salgaocar defence guarded by Jason Barbosa and Rochus Lamare.
In fact, had they not spurned chances, Cavelossim would have suffered their worst ever defeat.
Salgaocar opened the floodgates in the very 3rd minute when Douhou put his team in front after picking up the pass from Jason. A minute later, Salgaocar doubled their lead when Jason headed home from Brian Mascarenhas’ chip.
Salgaocar were up by two goals in the 4th minute. Scotland import Darryl Duffy made it 3-0 in the 11th minute when he received the pass from Saran Singh.
Cavelossim came up with rare counter attacks at the fag end of the lemon break. First, Mario Mascarenhas failed to connect goalmouth cross and James Fernandes’ header missed the mark narrowly.
It was one-way traffic after the change of ends, Salgaocar tormented the rival weak defence with sporadic raids. In the 53rd minute, Jason completed his brace when he gently tapped it in off cross from Myron Borges.
Thereafter, substitute striker Dawson single-handedly demolished the rival defence. In the 63rd minute, Dawson inflated the tally off Saran Singh’s defence splitting pass.
Dawson struck second time in the 72nd minute when he punished the rival goalkeeper with neat finish off pass from Bikash Jairu. Dawson completed his hat-trick in the 76th minute off pass from Douhou. Substitute Bikash Jairu drove the last nail into the rival coffin in the 83rd minute to end their wait for the title.
Benaulim MLA Caitu Silva was the chief guest and gave away the trophy in the presence of GFA Executive Members Welwin Menezes, Anthony Pango, Jaju Fernandes, Arnaldo Costa, Anthony Leo Fernandes, Anju Albuquerque, John Silva; Salgaocar Secretary Raj Gomes and Secretary of Sporting Clube de Goa Eddie Noronha.
Salgaocar FC head coach Derrick Pereira hailed the players for the victory and informed that he was very happy with the team’s performance throughout the league.
“It was a brilliant performance over all. I am pleased that we won the Durand Cup and now the Goa Pro League title.”
“I have told boys from the beginning to focus on each game at a time and it worked,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, Goa Football Association President Elvis Gomes congratulated the new champions.
