TEAM HERALD
sports@herald-goa.com
MAPUSA: Saligao United thumped Milagres Sports Club, Mapusa 2-0 in a GFA Second Division football league match at Sangolda ground, Monday. There was no score at half time.
Flavio Lopes LEFT OR RIGHT ?: Saligao United’s Bhavesh Kandolkar tries to dribble past Milagres SC’s Shailesh Miskin in a GFA Second Division football league match at Sangolda ground, Monday.
|
Saligao started attackingly, in search of their first point in the campaign after five matches and put their fate on strikers Abhijit Govenkar and Bhavesh Kandolkar. They threatened the rival goal in the 10th minute after Anthony Fernandes essayed a long ball to Bhavesh but rival goalkeeper Rowell Pinto made a timely collection.
At the other end, Milagres took time to find their rhythm after forwards Krishna Chogule and Atish Mirazkar were caught off-side on several occasions. In the 27th minute, Milagres squandered a golden opportunity to open the scoring after Atish had beaten rival custodian Marshall Simoes but he couldn’t score even with an open goal in front of him.
Three minutes later, Milagres’ Premnath Gadekar set up Atish outside the box but the last named saw his rasping shot going inches wide.
Saligao created good chances but lacked sharpness upfront as Cleton Rodrigues’ close ranger brushed the side-netting in the 37th minute.
Subsequently, Saligao’s Judas Fernandes’ perfect cross to Bhavesh was blocked by Rowell but it fell back to Saligao’s Sigmund Silveira, whose close ranger was parried away by Rowell.
Just before the lemon break, Saligao’s Terence de Mello sent a clever ball to Sigmund inside the box but Milagres’ defender Camiro D’ Souza came up with a timely tackle to deny Sigmund a clear chance at the goal.
After resumption, Milagres took easy control and Premnath’s curling free-kick was thwarted by the horizontal in the 46th minute.
In the 52nd minute, Saligao broke the deadlock as Judas’ in-swinging corner kick was headed in by Bhavesh.
Then, Camiro received the first yellow card of the game in the 65th minute from referee Savio Fernandes for his dangerous tackle on Saligao’s Terence de Melo.
Milagres tried hard in search of the equalizer but the rival defenders stood rock solid.
Saligao controlled the game in the last quarter and doubled their lead in the 84th minute through Terence Fernandes, who made a promising run from the center to the danger zone and
slotted past the rival custodian.
After six rounds, the teams are battling relegation with Saligao having collected three points with two matches to go while Milagres are on six points with two rounds to be played.
