Team Herald
sports@herald-goa.com
MAPUSA: Salgaocar Football Club opened their campaign with a comfortable 2-0 win over Corps of Signals in the GFA’s Professional League, at Duler Stadium, here, on Saturday.
After a goalless first half, Devendra Murgaonkar and Chaitan Komarpant found the nets for Salgaocar in the second half.
It would have been the fastest goal had the header of Salgaocar`s Andrus John rattled the net from a cross delivered by Chaitan Komarpant within 30 seconds of play.
The Army man had the first decent attempt in the seventh minute when Lairellakpam Singh controlling a long ball from Solomon Khongsai tried to catch the keeper Jason D’Mello off-guard with a clever lob who read it well and got back to tip the ball out for a corner.
It was Signal who looked more threatening in their attacks when in the 40th minute Nim I Bhutia’s placement towards the goal from a corner taken by Lairellakpam Singh was saved on the goal-line by keeper Jason D’Mello twice.
Changing over, Salgoacar had two back-to-back chances of breaking the deadlock when in the 48th minute Steflon D’Costa’s header came back of the post and from the rebound Chaitan’s shot struck the defender for a corner.
Salgaocar finally got the goal in the 69th minute when Devendra Murgaokar timed his jumped to perfection to get his head to a corner taken by Sanson Pereira which found the net.
Devendra Murgaokar was unlucky not to get his second goal for Salgaocar minutes later when his fierce shot was well kept out by keeper Purushothaman.
Salgaocar wrapped up the full three points in the 79th minute when Signals keeper Purushothaman who was brilliant under the bar misjudged the flight of the ball from a cross by substitute Selwyn Miranda and the ball came to Chaitan Komarpant who gleefully thumped the ball into the nets to make it 2-0.
In the closing minutes, keeper Binu Purushothaman made up for earlier laps when he dived acrobatically to keep out Devendra’s shot from crashing into the net.
Salgaocar in charge Levino Pereira said “credit of today’s win goes to the players who came back strongly in the second half and scored two goals, which gave us full points. Also to have four of our players back from the Santosh Trophy squad was good for the team”.
Corps of Signal assistant coach Rathesh Ravir “praised his men for the marvelous display in front of a good team and the chances they created, but were unlucky not to score. However the boys will perform better in matches ahead concluded Ravir.”
