23 Dec 2019  |   05:05am IST

Panjim Footballers register narrow win

Panjim Footballers register narrow win

Team Herald

MAPUSA: Panjim Footballers had to wait until the 87th minute to register a 1-0 win over Calangute Association in the 13th round match of the GFA's Professional league match, at Duler stadium, here, on Sunday.

Both teams having lost their last league match needed a win to improve their standings in the table and it was looking points would be shared.

Panjim Footballers who had suffered a 3-0 defeat from the hands of Calangute Association in their first leg meeting saw Llyod Cardoz score the match winning goal in the 87th minute.

In the ninth minute, Lloyd Cardozo well disguised pass found U-20 Krishna Gawas who could not keep his low shot on target with keeper Sanji Bugde completely beaten.

Calangute who were slow to get of their blocks had two decent chances to open the scoring through Alesh Sawant, first in the 20th minute his well struck 40-yard free-kick hit the top of the post and then minutes could not keep his placement goal wards after being wonderfully found by Gourav Kankonkar with a clever chip pass.

It was end-to-end stuff with both teams raiding each other’s citadel time and again and Panjim nearly broke the deadlock in the 36th minute when Lloyd Cardozo showing some amazing footwork got past a couple of Calangute defenders and on entering the box unleashed a firm shot which was brilliantly saved by the diving keeper Sanij.

Changing ends, Calangute`s Joaquim Carvalho’s long floater in the danger box found Chandan Govenkar who cleverly beat the off-side trap but failed in keeping his rising shot within the goal framework.

Minutes in the match, Lloyd Cardozo was unlucky to see his well struck shot being saved by keeper Sanji and from the rebound Chandan Gawas’ shot struck the Calangute defender and went out or a corner.

Just went it looked that points would be shared, Panjim struck a hammer blow to the hearts of Calangute as they scored the goal in the 87th minute through Lloyd Cardozo who finally managed to find the back of the net with a low grounder which had no answer to keeper Sanji who was outstanding under the post. 

The goal was created by Panjim's Akram Yadwad who after outsmarting a couple of Calangute defence had laid the ball to Lloyd Cardozo.

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