MAPUSA: Kerala Legends XI came from a goal down to hold Goa Legends XI to a 1-1 draw in the Legends Exhibition football match organized by John Paul II Foundation for Sports Goa in association with Goa Football Association, played under floodlights at Duler stadium here on Saturday.
Goa Legends XI coach Armando Colaco started with two Arjuna Awardees Brahmanand Shankhwalkar and Bruno Coutinho and along with former Internationals Mahesh Gawali, Nicholas Pereira, Roberto Fernandes, Lector Masacrenhas, David D’Souza and Camilo Gonsalves. Also in the starting XI were Mariano Dias, keeper Avertano Furtado and Goa’s oldest player Salvador Fernandes.
While for Kerela Legends XI coach Sharafali started with their lone Arjuna Awardee I. M.
Vijayan, former internationals keeper K.T. Chacko, Anson, Dhanesh, Martin Mathew, Sharafali, Thobias, and V. P. Shaji and Nationals Siva Kumar, Sunny, Shabeer Ali.
In the second minute, Goa’s skipper Brahmanand Shankhwalkar who was totally unmarked inside the six-yard box connected his diving header off Bruno Coutinho’s cross from the right flank into the goal to give his side the lead.
It did not take long for Kerala Legends to find their equaliser, where in the 8th minute Lanel
Thomas sent a diagonal pass to Shabeer Ali whose strike took a wicked deflection off the Goa defender to find the ball deceive keeper Avertano Furtado to make it 1-1.
Kerela Legends almost took the lead in the 12th minute where VP Shaji got hold of a pass
from Vijayan and drilled a fierce shot which rebounded off the post.
In the 21st and 23rd minutes, Kerala keeper Chacko came up with two brilliant saves first blocked Vishnant’s header from close and minutes later brought a breath-taking save off Roberto Fernandes’ strike.
At the strike of half an hour mark, Kerala were once again lucky as a 30-yard shot from Alex
