04 Feb 2021  |   05:45am IST

Sporting Clube de Goa pip Vasco SC

Team Herald

MAPUSA: Defending champions Sporting Clube de Goa started their campaign of the Goa Professional League on a winning note with a well deserved 1-0 win over Vasco Sports Club, at Duler stadium, here, on Wednesday.

A minute silence was observed at the start of the match in memory of Sporting's patron Late Peter Vaz. 

Peter’s daughter Danira Vaz and son Diogo Nathan Vaz mark their presence for the match.

Sporting went into the breather with a lead from U-20 Dattaraj Gaonkar’s header in the injury time.

The Flaming Oranje side came up with back-to-back moves at the rival goal in the fourth and fifth minute but both the attempts from close by Marcus Mascarenhas and Rohit Totad hit the defenders and went for a corner.

At the other end, Sporting keeper Ozen Silva was equal to the task as he too leapt high to collect a cross at the far goal by Vasco's Hafiz Khan.

Two more close shots from inside the penalty box at the goal by Vasco's Suraj Mondal and then a weak strike by Denil Rebello went astray.

When it looked the teams were heading for the dressing room playing a goalless draw, Sporting's Giresh Naik sent in a perfect cross from the left flank to unmarked U-20 Dattaraj Gaonkar at the far post who nodded the ball into the back of the nylons to give his side the lead.

On crossing ends, Vasco coach Micky Fernandes used all his three substitutions by bringing in fresh legs Mathew Colaco, Neville Albuquerque and Udhaya Kumar while Sporting coach Francisco Vaz replaced Assumption Soares with Sachidanand Satelkar.

After minutes of midfield tussle, both the teams had a strike each at the goals where Vasco's Francisco Fernandes rasping efforts had a touch at the Sporting's defender for a corner while Marcus weak efforts landed into the keeper’s gloves.

In the 82nd minute, Flaming Oranje lost two chances to further increase their lead when Sachidanand Satelkar fumbled in heading the ball off Marcus’ cross while Kuldeep Kumar came up with a timely block to halt Marcus from scoring and had to taken off because of an injury.