MAPUSA: Dempo Sports Club got the better of ten-man Sporting Clube de Goa 1-0 in Goa Football Association’s (GFA) Charity Cup match, at Duler Stadium, here, on Sunday. There was no score at half time.
After a barren first session, Afghanistan international Haroon Amiri broke the deadlock in the 55th minute after coolly converting a penalty kick. Referee Sunil Nanodkar awarded The Golden Eagles a spot-kick after Sporting Clube’ centre-back Chandrashekar Chinta brought down Clifford Miranda inside the danger zone. Chinta received a direct red card for the offence and his team found it hard to get back into the match after that moment.
Football enthusiast turned out in large numbers which contributed in raising the gate collection amount of over Rs 45,000. The final amount of the ticketing will go to the beneficiary of the Charity Cup, Digambar Haldankar from Calangute, one of the finest strikers of his time who donned colours for Salgaocar Sports Club for 13 long years. The 62-year old is a retired employee of Salgaocar group.
The teams went ahead-to-head in the first session and had equal share of chances. Sporting Clube gave their city rivals a wake up call early, in the 13th minute when Sumit Ghosh’s thunderous free-kick hit the crossbar and fell back into play.
Subsequently, Dempo had an opportunity after Romeo Fernandes’ dangerous cross from the right flank found skipper Clifford unmarked but the latter’s close ranger was parried away by Sporting Clube keeper Melroy Rodrigues.
As the match progressed, Dempo created better openings but medio Holicharan Narzary was wasteful on two separate occasions. First, he ballooned over from just outside the six-yard box and then, Holicharan failed to give finishing touches to low cross by Joy Ferrao just before half time.
Former Seville B side defender Pablo Gallardo made his debut for Sporting in the second session as the Spaniard came on for Ganesh Thakur.
However, Sporting Clube were down to ten-men in the 53rd minute as Chandrashekar received a direct red card. Amiri converted the resultant spot-kick and Dempo stuck to the slender lead even as Holicharan’s effort hit the upright.
Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister of Goa Francis D’Souza inaugurated part of the main stand as Vasudeva Dempo stand and also the other stand as Edward Carvalho. Also present were Dr Rufino Monteiro, GFDC chairman; Elvis Gomes, GFA president and GFDC member secretary; Lavinio Rebello, GFA vice-president (North) and other GFA executive members.
