Team Herald
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MAPUSA: A 96th-minute header from Sporting Clube de Goa’s Leren Dias earned his side a solitary-goal victory over Goa Police Sports Club, in the Goa Professional League match, played at the Duler Stadium, on Wednesday.
Goa Police colts were on the verge of earning their first point after four GPL matches, but Sporting’s late strike snatched it away. With this win, Sporting now have nine points from five matches.
The opening session was evenly contested, with both the Flaming Oranje and Goa Police squandering scoring opportunities. Early in the match, a fierce attempt by Sporting’s Ngangbam Singh was pushed out for a corner by Police custodian Saiesh Kunkolkar.
As the half progressed, Goa Police’s Kunal Salgaonkar sent his effort wide, while a 30-yard drive from Gauresh Desai deflected off a defender for a corner. Sporting’s best first-half chance came in the 28th minute when Doyal Alves delivered a defence-splitting cross to the well-positioned U-21 forward Prince Figueredo, whose strike was brilliantly saved by Saiesh with an acrobatic effort that drew applause from the crowd.
Towards the end of the half, a weak attempt by Salgaonkar was comfortably gathered by Sporting goalkeeper Abhimanyu Singh, who was again called into action to punch away a powerful drive from Xavier Rebello. In added time, Police defender Lavnay Shirodkar went close with a firm header that sailed narrowly over the bar.
After the interval, Sporting coach Francisco Vaz made a couple of changes to sharpen the attack. However, Goa’s best player awardee Doyal Alves failed to find his scoring touch, missing two open sitters – one cleared off the goal-line by Goa Police defender Anant Gad – before being substituted.
Just when it seemed both sides would settle for a draw, substitute Leren Dias rose high to head home a cross from Letzamang Haokip in stoppage time, sending Sporting’s supporters into raptures.
Leren Dias was later named man-of-the-match and received his award from Dilip Satardekar of Mayem.
