MAPUSA: Nickson Castanha’s 98th minute header enabled Sporting Clube de Goa register a hard fought 1-0 win over Calangute Association SC in a GFA’s Goa Professional Football League match at Duler stadium, here on Thursday.
After today’s win, Sporting tallied 21 points from 10 matches, while Calangute Association stayed on 18 points also from 10 matches.
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The first session was well balanced with the teams having a couple of scoring opportunities.
Calangute’s foreigner, Cameroon’s Junior Carret, had two glorious chances to put his team ahead in the 7th minute. He snatched the ball from defender Flagan Rodrigues, moved dangerously inside the penalty box and drilled a low shot which was, however, parried away at the expense of a corner by Sporting Under-20 goalkeeper Bhaskar Jalmi. Then in the 39th minute Jovito Fernandes set up Junior just outside the 6-yard box but the last named, surprisingly, toed the ball out.
At the other end, it was missed chances for Flaming Oranje. First, Llyod Cardozo missed the target narrowly. Later, in the closing stages of the first session, Llyod broke the off-side trap, but having just the rival keeper to beat, saw his strike rebounding off the post to the utter disbelief of his teammates.
Llyod had another opportunity to score but he was tackled by Calangute’s Vishesh Nasnodkar outside the penalty box. Off the resultant direct free-kick Rohan Rodrigues shot wide.
On crossing over, Flaming Oranje dictated terms. A curling effort from Joyson Gauncar sailed over the crossbar in the 56th minute. Two minutes later, Calangute’s stopper back Umesh Pujar effected a brilliant clearance from the goal area before Llyod Cardozo could aim goalwards.
After Sporting’s Chandan Gawas shot wide from close, Calangute received a jolt in the 90th minute as their goalkeper Presley Mascarenhas had to leave the field after colliding with Danstan Fernandes. He was replaced by Cydon D’Souza.
With ten minutes of added time, Sporting’s coach Armando Colaco brought in Nickson Castanha and Velito Cruz. The move paid rich dividend when in the 98th minute, Velito sent a long cross to unmarked Nickson Castanha whose header crashed into the net, leaving the large number of Calangute supporters crestfallen.
Calangute’s Saeesh Halarnkar received the man-of-the match award from Pravin Dhabolkar.
