Team Herald
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DULER: Dempo SC U-16 started their AIFF Youth League campaign with a 1–0 win against Sporting Clube de Goa in a closely fought encounter at Duler Stadium, Mapusa, on Saturday.
Norman Dias (83’) solitary goal was the difference between both the sides.
The Dempo SC lads kicked off the proceedings and created some early pressure. Soon the young Oranje did the catching up and increased the tempo with some good possession football.
It took 23 minutes for either sides to fire their first shot, it was Aaron Alvares of Dempo SC who got hold of a loose ball in the mid and whacked it on half volley but the Sporting Clube skipper and custodian Akshat Hadkonkar pulled off a good save.
For Sporting Clube Stendly Fernandes displayed some good dribbling skills when he got past two defenders to send in a fantastic cross into the Dempo SC box; unfortunately none of the Orange shirts could intercept the ball which was finally cleared by the Dempo SC defence.
It stayed goalless at the end of the first half.
Second half saw Sporting Clube shift gears from the start; the forwards Stendly combined well with Alister Anthony and Sahil Halarnkar to create some promising moves.
The second half sub Oscar D’Souza should have scored after receiving a brilliant through ball from Alister however the former placed it wide of the net.
Sporting lads paid the price of missing out on numerous opportunities when Dempo skipper Boris De Melo lead a counter attack to find Norman Dias dashing in from the right flank; the latter managed to sneak the ball in from a narrow angle beating the Oranje custodian Akshat who did his best to keep it out.
The match ended 1–0 in favour of Dempo SC.
