THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024
Team Herald
MAPUSA: Riding on a brace by Anil Gaonkar, Vasco Sports Club outplayed Guardian Angel Sports Club to a 2-0 win in the Goa Professional league played at Duler Stadium here on Sunday.
Anil got both the goals for Vasco from headers in the 45th and 68th minute to move his team level on nine points in the league table with Salgaocar FC and FC Goa.
Vasco who had an upper hand over their rivals for most part of the match started earnestly and had decent chances but their strikers could not convert the opportunities that came in their way.
It was a disappointing performance by the Guardian Angel lads who did not pose much threat to the Vasco goal and will need a huge lift to their performance in the next match which is against Calangute Association.
Vasco broke the deadlock in the added time when Francis Fernandes inch perfect cross inside the box found Desmon Gama header whose header rebounded off the woodwork and the ball was cleared by Guardian defender which came to skipper Sanwil D`Costa who darted down the right flank and send in a cross which was headed into the far corner of the net by Anil Gaonkar leaving no chance to keeper Pratheesh Veettil, 1-0.
Changing end, Guardian Angel nearly got the equaliser five minute later but Vasco's Kuldeep Kumar was alert to the danger and headed the ball out in the nick of time before Basant Singh could get to the end of a dangerous cross delivered into the box by Gilbert Oliveira.
It was a costly error by Guardian keeper Pratheesh Veettil who could not keep out Vasco`s Anil Gaonkar`s feeble glancing header from creeping into the net in the 62nd minute from a ball delivered by Denil Rebello into the penalty box, 2-0
Guardian tried their best to get back into the match and pushed more men forward in the last 15minutes but could not trouble Vasco keeper Sanju Thapa who had nothing much to do in the match today.
Vasco's Anil Gaonkar muffed up a golden chance of scoring his hat trick in the added time when only with the keeper at his mercy tapped the ball wide from a pass by substitute Hafiz Khan.
