MAPUSA: FC Bardez registered a solitary goal win against Sporting Clube de Goa in the final Goa Pro League Match of the 2016 season, at Duler Stadium, Mapusa.
Richard Costa’s 50th minute strike sealed the match in favour of FC Bardez.
Bardez got the first look at the goal early in the 4th minute when Latesh Mandrekar made a promising move on the left to find Savior Gama in the box, however the latter could only manage a weak attempt which went straight into the hands of Ravi Kumar.
Sporting responded strongly at the other end when Subhasish Bose took on two defenders in the mid to launch a powerful strike, the ball took a wicked deflection off Rowilsion Rodrigues but the Bardez custodian Bilal Khan managed to keep it out with a full stretch dive on the right.
In the 28th minute, Koko Sakibo took a long swing from the midfield sighting an out of position Sporting keeper but the shot lacked direction.
The best opportunity of first half came in the 32nd minute when Shawn Noronha set up Marcus Mascarenhas with a brilliant through ball but the shot went straight to Bilal.
There were no scores at the lemon break.
Right at the start of second half, FC Bardez struck when a good free-kick from Alesh Sawant found Richard Costa in the box who put it past the keeper.
Sporting should have levelled when Victorino Fernandes set up Marcus with a good cross but the latter couldn’t connect well. Sporting had another good opportunity towards the closing stages when a long cross from Joseph Clemente found Francis Dadzie in the box but the Ghanaian centre forward failed to convert the same. The match ended 1-0 in favour of FC Bardez.
