WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 2024
Team Herald
MAPUSA Vasco Sports Club managed to edge past Velsao Sports Cultural Club by 3-2 margin in the Goa Professional League match played at Duler Stadium here on Sunday.
The Port Towners secured their fourth win in the league to top the league table with 12 points from five league matches while Velsao SCC languish at the bottom of the league table with just one point.
It is almost more than a decade that Port Towners are seen topping the league table when then the formidable ABCD dominated the players’ line-up.
Two goals came early in the match with Velsao taking the lead in the 4th minute through Ronil Azavedo, which lasted just for four minutes with Vasco’s U20 winger Desmon Gama levelling terms and Denil Rebello netting the second goal before the breather. Anil Gaonkar scored the third goal for Port Towners with Brian Mascarenhas reducing the margin for Velsao.
Vasco coach Micky Fernandes started with the same starting XI which saw his team win back-to-back victories in the last two matches against Sesa FA and Guardian Angel SC, while Velsao coach Jude Barreto brought in newly signed and experienced defender Mathew Gonsalves in the Starting XI, whereas keeper Shivam Pednekar, Frazer Viegas, Ranu Rajawat, Viraj Naik, Dadapeer Patil and Hayden Pinto were the other six changes for Velsao.
Velsao surprised their opponents by scoring in the 4th minute where a powerful strike from Ronil Azavedo beat the entire rival defense and the ball crashed inside the far goal, 1-0.
Stung by the early goal, the Port Towners regrouped themselves and took just four minutes to get their equaliser. Denil Rebello found Desmon Gama in the box with a fine shot cross where the U20 winger easily cut past a defender in the box and beat Velsao keeper Shivam with a stiff grounder, 1-1.
It did not take long for the Port Towners to further increase their lead when in the 18th minute U20 right-back Warren Pereira nicely curled the ball to Denil in the box who hoodwinked Velsao defender and slotted the ball at the far post making it 2-1 for the Port Towners.
As the match progressed though Vasco colts had better of the ball possession their opponents had two scoring chances but Hyden failed to score while Brian Mascarenhas cross inside the danger zone was timely cleared by Vasco's defender Karan Shirodkar for a corner.
On crossing end, Vasco continued on their onslaught where in the 51st minute Francisco Fernandes sent a low cross in the box to Denil but the central midfielder's diving header went into the waiting hands of Velsao keeper Shivam.
Port Towners exerted pressure on the rival citadel and finally netted their third goal in the 65th minute. Denil's free kick was brilliantly blocked by Velsao keeper Shivam but the ball travelled to Anil Gaonkar who was lurking nearby guided the ball into the back of the nylons, 3-1.
The Port Towners should have made it 4-1 in the 74th minute as substitute Hafiz Khan played a perfect corner to Denil in the box but the unmarked midfielder failed to keep his header on target.
In the stoppage time Velsao reduced the margin when a long-range from Brian crashed into the back of the net, 3-2.
