MARGAO: Jaison Vaz’s lone goal help Sesa Football Academy register a 1-0 victory over defending champions Mohammedan Sporting Club, Kolkata in Group C quarter-final league match of 127th Durand Cup football tournament, at panchayat ground, Raia, on Saturday. The match winner came in the second session.
Sesa lads started the game in an attacking fashion and pushed their opponents on the back-foot. They created umpteen opportunities but their forwards misfired from hand-shaking distance.
At the other end, the visitors looked listless and failed to create any openings as their forwards struggled to get their act together.
Mohammedan Sporting Club goalkeeper Arnab Das Sharma was the stumbling block for Sesa forwards as the former denied the Goan outfit in surging ahead as he brought up a couple of saves in the first period.
Post resumption, Sesa Football Academy launched a series of attacks in search of the match-winner and struck the all-important goal soon after resumption. Myran Pereira found Jaison free and the last named unleashed a snap shot, giving no chance to the rival goalkeeper.
Stung by the setback, Mohammedan Sporting Club went all out for the equalizer and their forwards swarmed all over the rival territory but Sesa goalkeeper Fayaz Shaikh hold them back with fine saves.
The Defending champions spurn the spot-kick after rival striker Somida Adelaja was brought down by rival defender prompting referee PK Pranjith to show the dreaded spot midway in the second half and he himself failed to direct the resultant spot-kick into the net.
Mohammedan Sporting finished their league engagement without a win are out of contention.
Sesa and Bengaluru FC have three points each and play their last match on November 3 to decide which team qualify for the semi-finals.
