Team Herald
sports@herald-goa.com
MAPUSA: Beneston Barretto’s 47th minute strike enabled Guardian Angel Sports Club register a hard-fought 1-0 win over Panjim Footballers Sports Club in the Goa Professional league, at Duler Stadium, on Thursday.
Both the teams playing their first match took time to settle in the game.
It was Guardian Angel keeper Pratheesh Veettil heroics which saw Angels collect full three points.
Capital side received a jolt in the 15th minute when they came with an early substitution replacing injured medio Mahesh Kumar with Chandan Gawas.
Guardian Angel keeper Pratheesh Veettil was tested in the 22nd minute where a scorching free-kick by Akash Sanadi from the left flank was parried for a corner by the custodian. Two minutes later, keeper Pratheesh positioned himself well to stop a weak shot from
Lloyd Cardozo after Panjim’s Chandan Gawas had done the spadework.
At the other end Guardian Angel’s medio Gilbert Oliveira and Tyson Carvalho did try to find their strikers Beneston Barretto and Vasanta Singh upfront but Panjim’s stopper back skipper Janio Fernandes and Akram Yadwad time and again curbed their moves.
However two minutes in the added time of the first session and Angel’s broke the deadlock. A floater by William Niasso saw Beneston control the ball just inside the penalty box and after covering some ground finished with a rasping left footer, 1-0.
On resumption of play Capital side should have equalised in the third minute but a hot blooded-shot from Lloyd Cardozo was brilliantly blocked by the Curchorem’ keeper Pratheesh at the top first post for a corner.
At the other end Curchorem team’s Denvil Fernandes darted inside the penalty box from the right flank and latched a right footer which was blocked by keeper Preston Rego and the ball travelled to Basanta Singh whose strike deflected off a defender for corner. Another glorious chance went a begging for Capital side when Chandan Gawas collected a through pass from Akash Sanadi and drilled a stiff grounder where keeper Pratheesh came with a breath taking save.
Guardian Angel SC held on to their 1-0 lead till the final whistle to collect full points
