MAPUSA: A brilliant two-goal blitz by Necio Fernandes enabled Goa register a 2-0 win over Kerala in the 77th Santosh Trophy 2023-24 National Football Championship held at Arunachal Pradesh, on Friday.
Necio struck a goal in each session of play. With today’s win Goa has four points while Kerala has three points. Kerala started brightly and had number of goal bound attempts at the Goa’s goal but failed to find the target.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
A well-executed free-kick by Nigo Gilbert hit the rival defender for a corner, while two headers by the strikers zoomed over the crossbar.
In the 43rd minute, Mahammad Faheez sent a defence splitting pass to overlapping Necio, who controlled the ball then moved dangerously past the defenders and placed the ball into the far corner of the goal 1-0.
A strong appeal by Kerala players and team officials was turned down by the referee who also over ruled his assistant who had raised the flag for an offside.
On crossing ends, once again Kerala missed two open headers while a rasping shot by Rahim was brilliantly paired to safety by Goa’s custodian Dylan D’Silva.
While Kerala did the attacking another defensive splitting pass by Goa’s medio was controlled by Dattaraj Gaonkar, who set up Necio inside the 6-yard box, who coolly tapped the ball into the goal 2-0.
