MAPUSA: Newly promoted and winless in their last five league matches, Velsao Sports and Cultural Club finally got their first win with an emphatic 5-1 rout over Panjim Footballers in the ongoing Goa Professional League match organised by GFA, at Duler Stadium, here on Wednesday.
Velsao now have four points from six league matches while Panjim Footballers has three points from five league matches.
In a match between two teams languishing at the bottom of the table in this year’s league and fighting to avoid relegation saw Velsao have an upper hand over their rivals for most part and found the goals through Joseph Pereira (2), Sushant Borkar, Jelsu Moniz and Manjunath Rathod while Snedden Rodrigues pulled one back for Panjim Footballers.
In the fourth minute, Joseph Periera put Velsao ahead with a firm header from a free-kick taken by Bersal Viegas.
The Velsao keeper Preston Rego then made two smart saves to prevent Panjim Footballers in levelling terms first stopping Chandan Gawas shot in the 23rd minute and then later showing safe pair of hands to collect Joyson D’Souza’s well connected header.
Flan Gomes controlling a long ball from Dylan Rodrigues made it 2-0 for Velsao by beautifully lobbing the ball over the onrushing Panjim keeper Adney Fernandes in the 39th minute.
Panjim footballers got a lifeline when Velsao’s Flan Gomes handled the ball inside the penalty box, referee Shaikh Aboo without hesitation pointed to the penalty spot. Skipper Snedden Rodrigues who took the responsibility made no mistake with his placement 2-1.
However their joy was short-lived as Velsao made it 3-1 through Sushant Borkar’s stinging low grounder which had no answer to the keeper Adney who minutes before stopped Jelsoy Moniz header in finding the net.
Crossing ends, Velsao did not sit back and kept attacking their opponents half wherein Remedious Vaz was unlucky to see his well struck shot just go inches over the post.
Velsao further inflated the score sheet in the final ten minutes when Joseph Periera got his brace with a neat placement in the 82nd minute while Manjunath Rathod made it 5-1 in the 89th minute to complete the rout and give full three deserved points.
Meanwhile at Signals ground, Vasco Sports Club and Corps of Signals played out a 1-1 draw in an intense battle which saw two of Corps of Signals players receive marching orders for violent conduct.
Playing at their fortress, Corps of Signals had the upper-hand in the match in the early stages of the game and soon they converted the dominance into the lead in the 19th minute through Lalrellaktam Singh.
However, Inacio Colaco scored the leveller at the half-hour mark to make it also square.
The match turned out to be more physical in the second half tackles flying in from both the teams. Referee had a busy day out controlling the game. But matters went out of hand in the injury time when Myron was tackled by Corps of Signals players, which saw the officials and players of Signals from the bench getting involved in a brawl on the field.
Referee had to show direct red to two of Corps of Signals players –substitute keeper Vikramjit Singh and on field player Chand Singh. Myron also went into the referee’s books.
