Team Herald
MAPUSA: Sesa Football Academy were held to a 1-1 draw by Guardian Angel in the fourth-round match of the GFA’s Professional league, at Duler stadium, here, on Sunday.
Sesa led 1-0 at the breather through U-20 Richard Cardozo’s goal, but Angels fought back and equalised through Allwyn Vas to split points.
With the last two league matches being cancelled due to heavy downpour and unfavourable ground conditions, the weather seemed much better today but it was a low turn-out with the Diwali festival around.
Sesa were forced into an early substitution when defender Mohammad Shafeeq had to be replaced with Biken Meitei due to an injury in the ninth minute.
In the 13th minute, Sesa’s Caitano Viegas’ cross from the right side found Vishnu Gosavi who could not get his shot goal wards from close range.
Minutes later, Sesa took the lead when Laishram Meitei well-weighted pass found U-20 Ricahard Cardozo who cleverly outfoxed the onrushing keeper Pratheesh Veettil and guided the ball into the unguarded goal to give his side the lead.
Angels were completely pedestrian by the constant threat of the Sesa lads and it needed the urgent and quick intervention of their coach Riston Rodrigues who replaced Sunny Fernandes with foreign signing Bamba Musah Moctar upfront.
Sesa should have consolidated their lead but Vishnu Gosavi’s low grounder just missed the target narrowly after being put through by Laishram.
Angel’s nearly found the equaliser in the closing minutes of the first half but Aslon Oliveira could not get his head to the ball from a dangerous cross delivered into the box by Beneston Barretto.
It was a transformed Angel side in the second half who kept raiding their opponents goal time and again wherein a long range attempt from Beneston Barretto went over the crossbar and then Allwyn Vas’ cracking shot was brilliantly kept out by Sesa keeper Nongpoknganba Singh.
Sesa keeper Nongpoknganba Singh once again came to his side’s rescue first by stopping Benzu Clemente’s header from point blank range and then keeping out a well-executed free-kick by Gilbert Oliveira.
Angel’s hard work finally paid off in the 76th minute when Allwyn Vas hot-blooded 30-yard shot zoomed into the net leaving no chance to the Sesa keeper Nongpoknganba Singh who was outstanding under the bar.
Allwyn should have scored the winning goal for Angel but his feeble shot did not cause much trouble to Sesa keeper Nongpoknganba who had spilled out James Fernandes’ free-kick into his direction.
Sesa who were hardly active in the second half had only one clear attempt which came from a header by Richard Cardozo from a free-kick taken by Caitano that went inches wide.
In the closing minutes, Angel’s Josley Dias well stuck 25-yard shot was acrobatically fisted out for a corner by the agile keeper Singh.
