SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: Dempo Sports Club eased their way past Panjim Footballers with a 3-0 win in the Goa Professional League at Duler Stadium, Mapusa, on Tuesday.
The winners led 2-0 at the break as the Gonsalves Brothers’ Alber and Pedro struck in the 24th and 40th minutes respectively. Suraj Hadkonkar scripted his name on the score sheet with a goal too in the 79th minute.
After a balanced opening, Dempo SC’s Gaurav Viagankar created a chance for his side when he whipped in a cross to Alber in the box, but Panjim defender Janio Fernandes was there at the right place at the right time to thwart away the danger.
Then it was Desmon Pereira who played a brilliant pass to Suraj, but the latter who went straight for the goal saw his effort being brilliantly stopped by Panjim keeper Preston Rego.
But the breakthrough finally arrived for Dempo from a setpeice. Suraj sent a perfect delivery in the area which was headed in by Alber to put his side ahead in the game.
Meanwhile for Panjim, they had their moments too. Dhiraj Chouhan saw his header off Akash Sanadi’s freekick go straight to the keeper and then the Panjim side wasted a glorious chance when Akash managed to find Pandurag Gauns with a defense splitting pass, but poor decision making skills from the striker saw the opportunity being wasted.
When you missed such changes, you get punished and the Golden Eagles did the same. It was Pedro Gonsalves who scored the second for Dempo SC with a simple tap in to guide in Darrel’s low cross, to make it 2-0.
Dempo SC continued the second half with same energy and had series of chances being created in the initial stages. However, Preston Rego was at his best pulling off stunning saves to deny Saiesh and Gaurav.
With 10 minutes left on the clock, Dempo netted their third goal and it was a good move by Saiesh who came on as a second half substitute where he squared the ball in the area to an unmarked Suraj, who coolly put the ball at the back of the net.
