Team Herald
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MAPUSA: Vasco Sports Club finished their season with a huge defeat as they went down 5-0 to Salgaocar Football Club in their last match of the Goa Professional League, organised by Goa Football Association, played at Duler Stadium, here on Wednesday.
With this defeat, Vasco concluded their season with just 20 points from 22 matches, while Salgaocar climbed to the 5th place with 32 points from 17 outings.
Salgaocar gaffer Norbert Gonsalves made no changes to his winning formula which gave him six consecutive victories; whereas, Vasco coach Eban Mesquita also followed the rival coach by making no changes to his starting XI, despite winless in last two matches.
The first 20 minutes saw the dominant play from Salgaocar, however, superb defending by Vasco defenders and aimless shooting from Salgaocar forwards restricted the score-line. Whereas, Salgaocar Nigerian forward Joel Sunday had the best chance to put his side ahead when Vasco keeper Suresh Lamani made a missed pass to the striker just outside the box but his chip shot was denied by the crossbar to keep Vasco safe.
Vasco also came close to scoring in the 34th minute when skipper Micky Fernandes quickly send a low
cross to Franky Oliveiro whose shot from 6-yards missed the target narrowly.
At the other end, Salgaocar opened their account in the 37th minute when Assumption Soares’ powerful striker from the distance was deflected off Vasco defender Treyson D’Costa and directly finished at the far post to put Salgaocar ahead.
Energized by a goal, The Green Brigade doubled their tally within next three minutes as this time their star U-20 striker Devendra Murgaonkar made no mistake to head the ball home from 6-yards to Stephen Alvares’ curling cross from the right to make it 2-0 for Salgaocar.
Salgaoacar coach Norbert replaced defender Assumption with striker Clencio Pinto at the half-time, who marked his presence on the pitch in the very first minute of the second session when he smartly dribbled past a Vasco defender and shot from the top of the box which gave no chance to the diving keeper Suresh making it 3-0 for the Green Brigade.
With just five minutes more, Clencio was once again on the score sheet as this time he brilliantly placed the ball home from close to Mackroy’s perfect through pass to make it 4-0.
At the hour mark, Nigerian striker Sunday made it 5-0 for Salgaocar when he made an easy tap-in from close in the empty goal to put Salgaocar in the driver seat.
Sporting Clube de Goa registered a 2-1 win over Corps of Signals, played under floodlights at Duler stadium here on Wednesday.
The first session was equally contested where in the 33rd minute Signals came close in opening the account. A costly defensive error made by Sporting’s Girish Naik whose back pass was intercepted by Signals U-20 Josley Gomes but before he could create any damage the Sporting keeper Ozen Silva left his charge to thwart the attacker.
In the 42nd minute Flaming Oranje broke the deadlock as Nigerian Philip Odogwu dribbled past a host of rival defender and scored past keeper Niyas Mon to make it 1-0.
On resumption of play, Signals coach Sub Rateesh R brought Harshad Thube from the bench whose first touch materialised into goal.
A cross from Kuldeep Kumar saw Harshad latch a right footer from inside the penalty box into the far corner of Sporting goal to equalise.
Stunned by the equaliser, the Flaming Oranje side regrouped themselves and after much probing once again took the lead in the 57th minute as Glan Martins drilled a 35-yard strike which had a slight deflection off Signals defender as the ball crashed into the goal to make it 2-1.
