TEAM HERALD
MAPUSA: Sesa Football Academy thrashed Goa Velha Sports Club 4-0 in a round seven match of Goa Airtel Pro League football at Duler Stadium. Sesa led 3-0 at the breather.
Sesa move up to the sixth spot with 10 points while Goa Velha remained in the eighth position with seven points.
Sesa striker Chukwudi Chukwuma was back after serving a one-match suspension and it took the Nigerian 21 minutes to open the floodgates. He then scored his second, post resumption while Glan Martins and Sahil Tavora were the other scorers for the academy boys.
Goa Velha’s Manuel Crasto kept the rival defenders on their toes with swift runs down the flanks as one of his dangerous cross’ from the right found Wellington Fernandes inside the danger zone but the latter’s powerful header missed the mark narrowly in the 10th minute, which was their only attacking move in the entire match.
Then onwards, Sesa dominated the proceeding and surged ahead in the 21stminute. The move started in the right flank with Yogesh Kadam muscling past his marker and releasing Sahil, who sent in a defence splitting pass to Chukwudi inside the box and the striker finished with a rasping left-footer past the helpless rival custodian.
Sesa continued with the same momentum and doubled their advantage at the half hour mark. Goal scorer Chukwudi turned provider as he set up Glan Martins, who nodded in a rebound after his initial shot was blocked by rival goalkeeper Dietmar Fernandes.
Minutes later it was all over for Goa Velha as hardworking Sahil got on to the score sheet with a beautiful chip over the rival custodian.
Chukwudi could have scored two more but couldn’t convert from close range and then, just before the lemon break his stiff grounder hit the upright.
Changing over, Goa Velha started attackingly and were trying hard to get back into the match but their plans were foiled when Chukwudi scored his second of the evening.
In the 66th minute, Goa Velha’s Atish Madkaikar thought he had scored but he was flagged off-side by referee’s assistant Milagres Noronha.
Earlier, before the kick-off, Jayganesh Gotlekar and Agnelo Barreto, captains of Sesa and Goa Velha respectively took the Fair Play oath to mark the FIFA Fair Play days.
