Team Herald
sports@herald-goa.com
MAPUSA: Goa Police Sports Club scored a hard fought 5-3 win over Holy Cross Sports Club Arambol in the GFA’s First Division played at Duler Stadium, here on Tuesday.
At halftime, Goa Police led by two goals.
Arambol played their hearts-out but failed to do the all important task of scoring in the first session of play.
The Goa Police colts broke the deadlock in the early 6th minute of play when Swanand Naik positioned himself perfectly to tap home the ball from inside the Arambol goal-area.
Arambol almost nullified the goal in the 33rd minute when Shashank Ashwekar sent a pinpoint pass to Dalesh Pednekar however the latter’s blistering shot banged the Goa Police woodwork.
Couple of minutes later, Dalesh once again faltered in scoring after being set up by Shashank.
At the other end Goa Police doubled their lead when Sachin Chopdekar’s shot struck the Arambol defender and moved to Gulzar Khan who drilled the ball into the Arambol goal, 2-0.
Within four minutes of crossing over Arambol managed to reduce the margin when Vivek Naik ran up the right flank and sent the ball to overlapping Dalesh Pednekar who slotted the ball home, 1-2.
Goa Police came attacking in the 54th minute through a well built up move where Abdul Khan sent a pinpoint pass to Sachin Chopdekar whose powerful effort was pushed away by the diving Arambol keeper, only to see the ball roll towards Milind Shinde who made no mistake the tap it into the far corner of the goal, 3-1.
Arambol refused to be deterred by the goal and within five minutes once again reduced the margin when Vivek Naik sent a deep cross which beat the entire Goa Police defence along with the keeper and found Dalesh Pednekar who made no mistake to tap the ball into the Goa Police goal, 2-3.
Arambol almost restored parity in the 61st minute of play however Stepellon Fernandes’s low grounder missed the Goa Police goal by a whisker.
As luck would have it Arambol managed to level terms in the 64th minute when Goa Police keeper came charging off his line to block Dalesh Pednekar from scoring only to see Shashank Ashwekar who was lurking nearby chipped the ball into the empty goal, 3-3.
Much to the disappointment of the Arambol colts, Goa Police once again shot into the lead when Sachin Chopdekar leapt high to nod in Abdul Khan’s curling corner kick, 4-3.
In the 80th minute Goa Police made the issue same for themselves when they netted in their fifth goal after Abdul Khan sent the ball towards Suleman Shaikh who beat the offside trap and slammed the ball home, 5-3.
