MAPUSA: Two goals from Sidharth Kundaikar helped Calangute Association Sports Club to hold unbeaten Sporting Clube de Goa to a 2-2 draw in the Goa Professional League played at Duler stadium here on Sunday
The highlight of the match was Sidharth Kundaikar scoring twice for Calangute Association while Philip Odogwu and Marcus Mascarenhas found the net for Flaming Oranje.
With two drop points, Sporting remain on third spot with 16 points while Calangute Association have 14 points in the league table. After almost twenty minutes of midfield tussle, Sporting’s Clive Miranda sent a long ball to Akeraj Martin’s whose stinging strike was collected by keeper Paramveer Singh.
At the other end, Calangute’s Kouame Junior set up U-20 Chaitan Dabholkar inside the penalty box whose stiff grounder was comfortably collected by keeper Sanij Bugde.
Flaming Oranje finally took the lead in the 40th minute where a long throw in by Clive was controlled by Philip Odogwu who after beating his marker Melvin Lobo stabbed the ball into the goal to give his side the lead. Melvin Lobo sent a long ball to substitute Daryl Costa who after collecting it darted inside the penalty box and tried to place the ball into the net, past the onrushing keeper Sanij which rebounded off the far post. Four minutes later, U-20 Chaitan Dabholkar moved dangerously inside the penalty box from the right flank and after dribbling past two defenders drilled a hot blooded shot which was blocked by keeper Sanij.
However, finally in the 53rd minute, Daryl Costa moved inside the 6-yard box and sent a cut back pass to Sidharth Kundaikar who guided the ball home to make it 1-1.
After Sporting’s Rohit Totad and Alton Vaz missed open sitters at the other end Calangute’s Melvin Lobo’s header went just over the cross bar. Sporting further increased their lead in the 67th minute where Assumption Soares free-kick at the far post was connected by Alton Vaz where the ball travelled to unmarked Marcus Mascarenhas who tapped it into the empty goal to make it 2-1.
In the last five minutes, Dominic Fernandes missed an open sitter while Marcus Mascarenhas’ strike from a goal mouth melee was smartly blocked by keeper Paramveer. In the 94th minute, Calangute were awarded a direct free-kick where Sidharth Kundaikar curling direct free-kick brushed defender and landed into the far corner of the goal to make it 2-2.
Referee Deepraj Sangelkar was not at his very best in officiating the match where the supporters and team officials of both the teams were not satisfied from the decisions given, especially Calangute Association. However, a drawn encounter saved the situation which would have turned ugly for the organisers.
