MAPUSA: Cunchelim Sports Club staring at relegation surprised Assonora United with a hard fought 1-0 win in the eighth-round league match of the GFA 2nd Division league played at Duler stadium, on Monday.
Cunchelim moved to eight points with this much needed win while Assonora United after an impressive start to the league remain on ten points. Both teams were tied goalless at the end of the first-half with Assonora having the major share of the proceedings in the match but failed to make any inroads and were punished as Ganesh scored the winning goal for Cunchelim in the 71st minute.
Assonora had the first chance in the 13th minute when Dikshay Saraf playing a neat one two with Kanaya Govenkar delayed in pulling the trigger and was eventually disposed by the alert keeper Dinesh.
Minutes into the match, Stepelton Fernandes then muffed up two opportunities for Assonora from close range. Assonora kept squandering the chances that came their way. Around the 30th minute, Kanaya with only Cunchelim keeper at his mercy shot skywards from a brilliant solo run by Stepelton. Changing ends, Assonora continued in the same vein but just could not get the ball at the back of the net.
Assonora’s Vishnu Pawar’s placement was stopped on the goal line by the Cunchelim keeper. Cunchelim who withstood the barrage of attacks for the entire match had the first chance when substitute Rohit Bharti’s rasping 40-yard shot was pushed over the crossbar by keeper Siddhant Gad. Assonora were left stunned as Cunchelim struck the winning goal in the 71st minute when Mahableshwar Thanekar ferocious left foot shot popped out of the hands of keeper, Siddhant into the path of Ganesh, who was lurking nearby who guided the ball into the back of the net.
Cunchelim nearly got their second goal minutes later but Nayan Virnodkar’s long ranger zoomed past the crosspiece.
