MAPUSA: Churchill Brothers Sports Club registered their first victory in the GFA’s Goa Professional League with a 4-1 win over Clube Sao Miguel de Taleigao, at Duler Stadium, on Wednesday.
The Red Machines now have four points from seven matches while Taleigao continue their spell at the bottom of the league table with just a point from seven matches.
Churchill led 2-1 at the break.
The play was restricted to the midfield for the first quarter of the match with few and far between.
Churchill managed to break the deadlock in the 17th minute when Sandeep Subbha on collecting the ball from Pankaj Sona drilled the in a low shot, 1-0.
Moments later, Taleigao could have levelled term, however Churchill keeper Swisfron D’Silva did well to get his hands to Gourav Kankonkar’s hot-blooded shot.
Churchill went on to double their lead in the 27th minute, when Sandeep Subba danced his way past the Taleigao defenders and relayed the ball towards Nash Pereira who slotted home the ball accurately, 2-0.
Three minutes before the halftime whistle Taleigao managed to reduce the margin when Jesmon Carvalho sent in a long thrown in into the Churchill danger zone to Pramod Mardolkar who in turn set up Gourav Kankonkar, who scored through a perfect placing strike, 2-1.
Thereon both the keepers were tested where first Taleigao keeper Xavier Estrocio pushed away Zenith Mashangaya’s strike and then Churchill keeper Swisfron brilliantly swayed Yogesh Gauns bicycle kick over the horizontal bar.
On resumption of play, it was Taleigao who started off on an attacking note where first Sherwin Lobo made a vicious run into the rival campy only to see his strike being kept away by Churchill defender Basant Rai.
The introduction of Nicholas Fernandes into the squad brightened up the Churchill attack who finally managed to fire in two goals towards the fag end of the match.
In the 90th minute, Nicholas sent in a curling freekick into the Taleigao 18-yard box which was nodded in by Pankaj Sona. Within a span of two minutes Nicholas once again got into the thick of action and this time set up Chesterpaul Linghdoh who made no mistake to take his side up by a 4-1 margin.
Moments before the final whistle Nicholas saw his power pecked shot ricochet off the Taleigao woodwork.
