MAPUSA: Calangute Association put up a brave fight to hold Dempo Sports Club to a goalless draw in the 14th round postponed match of the Goa Pro League, at Duler Stadium, here, on Tuesday.
Calangute remained in the fourth position with 28 points while Dempo SC have 24 points and are on the fifth place of the league table.
The evenly contested encounter saw the Calangute colts have the first crack at the rival goal in the fifth minute when Aniket Mandrekar on getting hold of the ball in the midfield made a threatening run into the rival camp but was timely thwarted by Dempo SC defender Ali Mohammed, before he could aim goalwards.
In the very next minute, Felix Chidi Odili sent a pinpoint pass to Latesh Mandrekar whose powerful strike was kept away by the diving Dempo SC keeper Tyson Caido.
Calangute keeper Melroy Fernandes showed good reflexes to pair away Shallum Pires header
off Germanpreet Singh corner kick.
Germanpreet too had a close shave at the rival goal but Latesh Mandrekar came with a good block to foil his efforts.
Dempo SC’s best chance of scoring came in the 17th minute when Aniston Fernandes sent a vicious cross across the face of the Calangute goal only to see Joy Ferrao falter in scoring from hand-shaking distance.
At the other end, Calangute continued in their quest for the all-important goal where in the 30th minute Felix Chidi Odili’s header of a Latesh Mandrekar corner sailed just over the Dempo SC crossbar and than Latesh saw his rasping right-footer from the edge of the box go just wide.
Minutes before half time, Dempo SC keeper Tyson came up with a good save to keep away Felix Chidi Odili’s shot from entering the nets.
Crossing over both the sides renewed their efforts to break the deadlock however the much needed goal eluded them till the very end.
Luck did not seem to be on Calangute’s side as in the 54th minute Valerio Rodrigues set the ball on platter to Latesh whose floater banged the top corner of the Dempo goal post and went out of play.
After some midfield play, a scoring opportunity once again came knocking on Calangute’s door when Valerio Rodrigues’ well executed free-kick found unmarked Felix Chidi Odili, however the latter failed to keep his cool and headed the ball wide from hand-shaking distance.
Deep into stoppage time Dempo SC almost stole away the match right under the nose of the Calangute colts, however their keeper Melroy Fernandes rose to the situation and came with a full stretched diving save to push away substitute Milagres Gonsalves curling strike.
