Team Herald
MAPUSA: Salgaocar Football Club registered an impressive 1-0 win over Santa Cruz Club Cavelossim in the seventh round match of the Goa Professional League organised by Goa Football Association, at Duler stadium, on Tuesday.
Salgaocar coach Norbert Gonsalves started with the game with two of his new signings, Sourabh Patil and goalkeeper S. Rajini Kumar. Umesh Harijan was brought back into the side after his team had drawn against Guardian Angel in their last league match
At the other end, SCC Cavelossim coach Severino Fernandes made just one change in his starting line-up with Rohan Kamble, after having won their fifth round match against Vasco Sports Club.
The Salgaocar colts dominated in the entire first half with repeated attacks on the rival citadel, but tasted success only once through Leny Pereira’s goal.
Early in the match, Gilbert Oliveira found U-20 Devendra Murgaonkar inside the penalty box, but the latter delayed in controlling the ball.
Minutes later, Devendra’s strike from inside the penalty box hit the Cavelossim defender before it went out for a corner.
In the 25th minute, the young lad Devendra was back in action but his goal-bound shot was superbly saved by Cavelossim keeper Siddesh Morje.
Cavelossim had just one good chance at the rival goal in the entire half, when Allwyn Vaz set up Moises D’Sa on top of the penalty box, but the latter shot over the crossbar.
in the 39th minute, the Green Brigade’s goal came via a pinpoint Mackroy Peixote corner that Leny Pereira met with a powerful header past the Cavelossim keeper Siddesh Morje to take the lead.
Post resumption, Cavelossim’s Semson Fernandes saw his rasping shot being saved by the goalkeeper S Rajini Kumar.
After some midfield play, Salgaocar came with back-to-back attacks from perfect crosses by Harmanjot Singh to Devendra.
The first was cleared by Cavelossim’s Sarabjit while the second saw Devendra fail to direct his header inside the goal framework.
At the other end, Cavelossim’s Mathew Colaco’s strike at the goal was confidently collected by the goalkeeper S Rajini Kumar.
In the last quarter of the match, the Green Brigade had two glorious chances to further inflate their lead. A pinpoint cross by Gilbert Oliveira saw Joel Sunday tap the ball wide with only the rival keeper at his mercy and minutes later Joel Sunday headed the ball over the crossbar off a Gilbert cross.
Cavelossim almost scored the equaliser through a well executed free-kick by Semson Fernandes but was kept away with a full stretched diving save by keeper S Rajini.
In the 86th minute, Joel Sunday got hold to a pass from Brian Mascarenhas and after covering some ground drilled a low shot which went just past the Cavelossim’s side goal post to the dismay of his teammates.
After today’s outing holders Salgaocar FC has eight points from seven matches, while SCC Cavelossim has six points from six matches
