Team Herald
MAPUSA: Sporting Clube de Goa and FC Bardez played a goalless draw in the GFA’s Professional League encounter, played under floodlights at Duler Stadium, Mapusa, on Tuesday.
After Tuesday’s match Sporting Clube have 29 points from 13 matches while FC Bardez have 23 points from 12 matches.
The highly entertaining match saw both sides initiate a series of raids on their rivals, keeping both keepers on their toes throughout.
It was the host side who attacked first when Alesh Sawant tried to tap in the ball from a goalmouth melee, but Sporting keeper Ravi Kumar showed some quick reflexes and warded off the danger.
At the other end Cajetan Fernandes sent a curling free-kick to unmarked Francis Dadzie, however the Nigerian failed to direct his header goal wards.
Thereon Sporting twice came teasingly close to scoring in a span of three minutes, where first Clemente Joseph saw his firm header off Cajetan’s cross sail just over the cross piece and then Bardez keeper Mirshad Koottappunna came with a brilliant diving save to deny Dadzie from scoring.
In the 20th minute Peter Carvalho sent a long pass to Alesh Sawant who inturn set up Latesh Mandrekar right inside the Sporting danger zone, however the U-20 star fumbled from close range, to the dismay of his teammates.
Glan Martins tried his luck at the goal, however his blistering shot from outside the danger zone was neatly blocked by the Bardez keeper.
Crossing over FC Bardez went all out in an attacking mode where in the 52nd minute Alesh Sawant made a vicious run into the rival citadel only to be timely dispossessed by skipper Loveday Enyinnaya.
Two minutes later Richard Costa sent a defence splitting pass to Girish Sawant who beat the offside trap and charged into the Sporting territory with his marker in hot pursuit, however his strike kissed the horizontal bar before going out of play.
Alesh Sawant was once again unlucky in front of the goal, as his effort from inside the goal-area missed the target by a whisker.
In the 58th minute Daryl Costa on getting hold of a loose ball outside the Bardez danger zone unleashed a powerful right footer which travelled just past the Bardez goal.
Ten minutes later Cavin Soares came with a vital goal line clearance for Bardez to deny defender Loveday from scoring.
Both the sides tried their level best to turn the fate of the match in their favour, however the final touch which converts a good move into a goal was sadly missing till the very end.
