MAPUSA: Calangute Association scraped past Vasco Sports Club by 4-1 in the Goa Professional League match, organised by Goa Football Association, played at Duler Stadium, here on Friday.
With this three points, Calangute went up to 4th position with 25 points from 18 outings, while Vasco has 17 points from 18 matches.
Calangute coach brought in defender Mayur Shelar and U-20 striker Sanjay Vengurlekar to replace suspended Josley Dias and Omkar Satelkar in the starting XI, who edged Panjim Footballers in the last round match, whereas Treyson D’Costa and Leny Fernandes were the two changes in the Vasco side which lost to Goan FC in the previous round match.
The match started with an attacking football, where both the sides made numerous attacks on each other in the first 15 minutes but both side’s last line cleared every danger.
However, in the 16th minute, Vasco defender failed to clear Joston Pereira’s long ball where overlapping Calangute U-20 striker Sanjay finished the ball in the net to take his side into the lead.
Calangute had a chance to double their lead at the half-hour mark when Joston dangerously moved inside the box but his left-footer was brilliantly blocked by Vasco keeper Amit Biswas.
A very next minute, Joston tried his luck from distance but his goal bound shot was nicely paired by keeper Amit.
At the other end, Vasco lone striker Franky Oliveira continued his poor form as this time he missed the open header from point-blank range off Anil Gaoncar’s pin-point perfect cross from the left wing. In the closing stages of the first session, another chance went into vain for the Port Towners when Anil made a lay-off pass to Guinean midfielder Vaseeba Toure in the box but the latter failed to connect from close with just keeper to beat.
Vasco started the second session on an attacking note as they came with a swift attack from the right when Anil once again found Franky in the box with a superb cross but this time also Franky wasted it with a wide header from close.
Calangute doubled their lead in the 55th minute when their left-back Bonny Niasso made a superb run from his own half and squared it to his teammate Blake Haldankar who made no mistake to put the ball in the empty net to make it 2-0 for the Beachside.
A few minutes later, Bonny had a chance to add another goal to their tally when he made a similar effort from the last but this time his strike was pushed for a corner by Vasco keeper Amit.
However, in the 81st minute, keeper Amit made a mistake to collect Calangute substitute Ashok Megheri’s header off Newton Azavedo’s cross where the substitute tapped in the loose ball to make it 3-0 for his side.
Vasco had two great chances to reduce the margin in the dying minutes of the match but first Franky saw his shot from close nicely pushed away by Calangute keeper Jason D’Mello, while a substitute Micky Fernandes’ 25-yarder free-kick hit the crossbar.
After two quick attacks, Vasco finally reduced the margin in the 89th minute when Micky made a deadly cross after cutting past two defenders in the box where Franky just had to tap the ball in the net to make it 4-1 for Vasco.
In the added time, Calangute added another to their tally as this time substitute Jaiganesh Goltekar headed in from close off Newton’s cross.
