MAPUSA: Penha de Franca scored a huge 4-0 win over Clube Sao Miguel de Taleigao in the GFA’s 1st Division League match played at Duler ground, here, on Sunday.
Clube Sao Miguel played their hearts out but failed to rise to the challenge put forth by the Penha de Franca outfit who went into the breather with a 2-0 cushion.
Both the sides started aggressively looking to collect full three points and it was Clube Sao Miguel who had the first clear look at the rival goal in the very 3rd minute of play when Jesus Estrocio sent a deadly cross to Pramod Mardolkar right inside the danger zone, however the latter blasted the ball wide.
After some midfield play, Penha de Franca broke the deadlock in the 17th minute of play when Prathamesh Maulingkar set the ball on platter to Denzil Sequeira, who coolly tapped the ball into the Clube Sao Miguel nylons, 1-0.
Boosted by the goal, Penha de Franca exerted further pressure where in the 21st minute Denzil made a fine run down the left flank and sent the ball across the Clube Sao Miguel’s goal area, however defender
Krishnanath Shirodkar came with a timely clearance before any damage could be done.
Minutes later, Denzil sent a lovely through pass to Joston Pereira who charged down the left flank and flashed the ball across to unmarked Prathamesh, where the towering striker made no mistake to head the ball to the far end of the goal, 2-0.
Clube Sao Miguel too had their fair share of attempts. However, Govind Mahale saw his strike from the edge off the box sail just over the Penha de Franca horizontal bar and then Pramod once again failed to keep his cool and blasted the ball way off the mark from close range on being set up by Marc Fernandes.
Crossing over, Clube Sao Miguel tried hard to turn the match in their favour, however Pramod was once again found guilty of ballooning the ball over the Penha de Franca goal from close quarters while Gautam Kankonkar saw his effort from the top of the box being collected by the keeper.
Both the sides shot up the tempo of the match in the final 10 minutes of regulation time where in the
80th minute Marc charged into the Penha de Franca citadel and flashed in a danger cross only to see defender Vikesh Hadfadkar clear the ball to safety before Kreston Estrocio could get his feet to the ball.
Two minutes later, a miscommunication between the keeper and defenders cost Clube Sao Miguel another goal when they failed to keep away Manjunath Rathod’s cross and the ball travelled to Denzil, who toed the ball home.
Luck did not seem to be on Clube Sao Miguel’s side as in the 85th minute Suraj Hadkonkar’s 25-yard freekick banged the Penha de Franca horizontal bar and rebounded into play.
Penha de Franca fired in the final nail into the Clube Sao Miguel coffin in the 87th minute of play when
Manjunath on being set up by Joston, headed the ball to Mayur Bhagat who finished off the move through a powerful header, 4-0.
