Team Herald
MAPUSA: Penha de Franca Sports Club scored a hard fought 1-0 win over rivals Holy Cross SC Arambol in the GFA’s First Division League match played at Duler Stadium, Mapusa, on Wednesday.
Penha now have 31 points from16 matches while Arambol have 16 points from 15 matches.
The only goal of the match came in the 22nd minute. In the 6th minute, Arambol came attacking when Shashank Asvekar curled his corner kick towards Jayesh Chopdekar who firm header was brilliantly pushed away by the diving Penha keeper Adney Fernandes.
Couple of minutes into the match Josley Dias ran into the rival citadel and set up Princeton Rebello whose header missed the Arambol goal by a whisker.
After a series of further missed opportunities Penha finally broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute of play when Leander D’Cunha flashed the ball across the face of the Arambol goal to Anil Gaonkar who made no mistake to score, 1-0.
Just two minutes later Anil could have scored his brace, however Arambol keeper Dietmar foiled his effort. Changing over, Arambol looked desperate to turn the fate of the match in their favour however the much needed goal eluded them till the end.
In the 55th minute, Penha’s Treyson D’Costa came with a timely goalline clearance to deny Dalesh Pednekar from scoring.
Minutes later Devendra Pednekar’s well timed by-cycle kick went just over the Penha horizontal bar.
For Penha, Josely Dias made a threatening run into the rival camp and sent a square pass to Ashvek right infront of the Arambol goal, however the latter faltered to just tap the ball home.
Lady Luck did not seem to be on Arambol’s side as in the 82nd minute of play Leslee Britto’s powerful strike banged the Penha woodwork.
In the stoppage time Arambol were reduced to ten men after Devendra Pednekar was sent off for double booking.
