MAPUSA: Football Club de Bardez secured a 2-1 win over Salgaocar Football Club in the Goa Professional League match, organized by Goa Football Association, played at Duler Stadium, on Friday.
Salgaocar made four changes in their starting XI with Nigerian striker Joel Sunday, U-20 keeper Nora Fernandes, Joaquim Carvalho and Samuel Costa made the start for the Green Brigade, whereas Bardez coach Armando Colaco chose to go with the same squad from the last match, except for the defender Stanley D’Silva who replaced Neville Albuquerque in the playing XI.
Bardez started the match on an attacking note where Jessel Carneiro curled the ball in the box to find Kirtikesh Gadekar but Salgaocar defender Lenny Pereira brilliantly cleared it for a corner.
Salgaocar’s Sunday had the best chance to put his side ahead in the 15th minute when he made a dangerous run along with Bardez defender Stanley D’Silva but the Bardez keeper Aliston Fernandes came out of his position to lclear the danger, the ball travelled to U-20 Devendra Murgaonkar but the striker failed to shot into the empty goal.
A few minutes later, Devendra had another chance when he was fed by Samuel Costa in the box but the striker failed to control the ball with just the keeper to beat.
In the 22nd minute, the Bardez keeper came up with brilliant saves as this time he denied Gilbert Oliviera and later Sunday from scoring. He was in the action again when he nicely paired Brian Mascarenhas’ powerful shot from inside the box which later hit the crossbar and went for a corner.
After wasting a few chances, Salgaocar finally opened their tally in the 39th minute through Sunday., Brian nicely sent a cross to Lenny in the box from a corner where he headed back to skipper Rosario Mendes who found well-positioned Sunday with another header. The Nigerian striker made no mistake to beat the Bardez keeper and put his side ahead.
With just three minutes after scoring the goal, Sunday had another chance to double the tally when he covered some ground and tried his luck from inside the box only to see it go wide by a few inches.
The second half saw a renewed Pink Brigade as they came out all attacking and found the equaliser in the 55th minute when Clinton Niasso with an excellent footwork to cut past few opponent defenders and fired a powerful shot from the edge of the box which entered the goal restoring parity for Bardez.
A few minutes before, Shubham Dessai also had the chance to equalise with just three minutes in the second half but Salgaocar keeper Nora punched striker’s powerful strike for a corner.
At the other end, Bardez keeper Aliston was also tested by Salgaocar’s Samson Pereira but the custodian nicely fisted over the crossbar.
Bardez found the winner in the 68th minute when Jessel’s blistering shot hit the woodwork and an alert Clinton tapped in the ball making it 2-1, confirm fullpoints for the Pink Brigade.
In the last few minutes of the match, Bardez had another chance to increase their lead but instead of directing ball in the goal with a chip shot over out of position Salgaocar keeper Nora over ambitious Jessel shot over the crossbar.
