MAPUSA: Youth Club of Manora (YCM) went down fighting to defending champions Sporting Clube de Goa 0-1 in the Goa Professional League played at Duler Stadium here on Sunday.
The all-important goal was scored by Marcus Mascarenhas in the 84th minute.
Sporting Coach Francisco Vaz brought in two changes while Manora Coach Roque Carneiro made three changes in their Starting XI.
Flaming Oranje dictated terms in entire first session. Alton Vaz, Gaurav Kankonkar and Kunal Kundaukar failed to encash from the four corners which came their way.
Manora outfit came with just one good attempt at the rival goal but Sporting defender skipper Alton Vaz came with a smart clearance before Nicholas Fernandes could do any damage to U-20 Melisho Camotio ball inside the penalty box.
In the 21st minute Manora keeper Alison Soares who played in the absence of regular keeper Luis Barreto nursing injury left his charge to clear Kunal Kundaikar floater just outside the penalty box.
Minutes later Kunal and Gourav missed open sitters.
Another two best chances were squandered by Flaming Oranje in the 40th and 44th minute. Marcus Mascarenhas free-kick was not cleanly collected by keeper Alison and the ball rolled to overlapping U-20 Allan Peixoto whose carpet drive banged the far post and rebounded into play.
Manora’s Caetano Fernandes came with an unbelievable save as he stopped Kunal Kundaikar header off Allan’s corner on the goal line.
On crossing over Flaming Oranje continued on their onslaught but Manora keeper Alison came with two brilliant saves in quick succession. First he swayed the ball over the cross bar off Brendon Gomes strike at the first post and in the very next minute blocked a thundering left footer from close to deny Gourav from scoring.
Manora would have stunned their opponents in the 65th minute had Savio D’Souza kept his header off Nicholas free kick inside the goal frame.
At the other end Kunal’s header off Myron Fernandes corner came off the post to his teammate Dattaraj Gaonkar whose header was brilliantly parried to safety by keeper Alison.
All the superb defending by keeper Alison and defender Manushawn Fernandes came to an end in the 84th minute due to their miss communication with Marcus Mascarenhas heading the ball into the goal off a long aerial ball by Myron Fernandes, 1-0.
