Team Herald
sports@herald-goa.com
DULER: Panjim Footballers registered a fluent 4-0 win over Guardian Angels Sports Club in the Goa Professional League match, organised by Goa Football Association, played, at Duler Stadium, Mapusa, on Tuesday.
Snedden Rodrigues scored a brace while Clive Miranda and Sachidanand Satelkar added a goal each for the Capital city side.
These three points helped them climb to the eight place with 18 points from 19 matches, whereas Angels remained on the third position with 33 points from 21 outings.
Ghanaian front man Abel Hammond was back in the starting XI for the Curchorem side which had blanked Goan FC in the last match while Panjim coach Savio Vaz brought in Clive Miranda, Velton D’Souza and Snedden Rodrigues following their 4-2 defeat at the hands of Vasco SC in the last match.
Panjim were unlucky not to take the lead in the 2nd minutes when Guardian Angel’s U-20 defender Mizio Peixoto’s clearance to Panjim striker Snedden’s cross hit the crossbar.
However, in the 11th minute, defender Clive gave Panjim the lead when he smartly headed in Fady Riad’s fine cross from the edge of the box to make it 1-0 for Panjim Footballers.
Panjim continued their good form and added the second goal to their tally in the 23rd minute when Snedden headed from the far post Fady’s perfect cross from the right making it 2-0 for Panjim.
Guardian Angel came with their first potent chance of the match in the 28th minute when Nigerian forward Yakubu Mohammad dribble past a defender and went for the glory from inside the box but Panjim’s custodian Gurpreet Singh came with a brilliant block to keep his side’ clean sheet.
Four minutes later, Panjim further inflated their lead when Snedden’s fierce shot from the top of the box off Alphonse Shako’s pass, slammed into the top corner giving Panjim their third goal of the match.
At the other end, Guardian Angel tried hard to get back into the match but Panjim defenders stood tall to clear every danger.
On changing the sides, Guardian Angel were the first to create the chance as substitute Nicholas Rodrigues sent a fine corner to Clifton Dias in the box who headed towards the goal but Panjim keeper Gurpreet dived to his right to push it for a corner.
Guardian Angel wasted a golden opportunity to reduce their margin at the hour mark when they were awarded a penalty kick after Panjim defender Clive was brought down by Aniston Fernandes in the box but surprisingly the most experienced player on the pitch Nicholas shot wide from the spot.
Snedden had a chance to complete his hat-trick in the 79th minute when he easily dribbled past two defenders and shot on the goal but he was denied by the side post.
Panjim Footballers netted their fourth goal in the 90th minute when substitute Sachidanand Satelkar snatched the ball from Guardian Angel defender Sanwil D’Costa and shot past keeper Ram Sroop from inside the box to hammer the final nail into the coffin.
