Team Herald
sports@herald-goa.com
MAPUSA: Salgaocar Football Club Juniors got the better of Goa Police Sports Club 3-1 in the GFA First Division League match played at Duler Stadium, here on Tuesday.
The winners now climb to the top of the league table with 14 points from six matches while Goa Police remain with 12 points from seven outings.
Both sides adapted to midfield tactics for first quarter of the match with moves few and far between.
It was the Goa Police colts who had the first crack at the rival goal when Sachin Chopdekar combined well with Milind Shinde to sneak into the rival citadel and set the ball on platter to Siddesh Narvekar who shot wide from handshaking distance.
For Salgaocar, Ronaldo Oliveira got the better of stopper back Swanand Naik and charged into the Goa Police danger, however his low grounder was kept at bay by keeper Niklesh.
At the half hour mark Salgaocar managed to take the lead when keeper Niklesh managed to push away Ronaldo Oliviera’s goal bound shot, only to see the ball travel to U-20 Denil Rebello who made no mistake in tapping the ball home, 1-0.
However their joy was short lived as within three minutes Goa Police came with the equaliser when Abdul Khan sent a pinpoint pass to Sachin Chopdekar who seeing the keeper off his line lobbed the ball into the Salgaocar goal, 1-1.
Five minutes before halftime, Ronaldo almost put Salgaocar back into the lead however after weaving his way past the defenders he faltered in the all important task of scoring.
Crossing over Goa Police’s Milind Shinde made a vicious run into the Salgaocar camp only to see his right footer being kept away by keeper Rohan.
At the other end, Goa Police custodian Niklesh too proved his brilliance under the horizontal bar as he denied Ronaldo and Denil Rebello from scoring.
Liston Colaco who came off the bench managed to give Salgaocar the lead in the 85th minute when he curled in his free-kick from the edge of the box to the far corner of the rival goal, 2-1.
Stephen Satarkar and Ronaldo Oliviera were unlucky not to score for Salgaocar as their efforts banged the horizontal bar.
A minute before the final hooter Stephen made the issue safe for Salgaocar, scoring from close range, 3-1.
