TEAM HERALD
MAPUSA: Ten-man Sesa Football Academy edged past Dempo Sports Club 1-0 in GFA’s U-20 Taca Goa First Division football league match at Duler Stadium, here, Thursday.
The teams matched each other for pace but couldn’t find the breakthrough in the first session. However, Olivin Cardozo scored the all-important goal in the 81st minute, a minute after Sesa were down to ten-man. Sesa started off their campaign on a winning note while Dempo suffered their second successive defeat in as many matches.
Dempo started attackingly with Jaison Dias and Quan Gomes trying their luck from close but Sesa custodian Faiyaz Shaikh left them frustrated. As the match progressed, Sesa got into a rhythm and looked dangerous. They could have taken the lead before the break when Jason Vaz sent in a defence splitting through ball to Olivin but the latter’s close ranger was superbly saved by Dempo custodian Shilton Fernandes.
Post resumption, Sesa enjoyed the lion’s share of ball possession but were reduced to ten-man in the 80th minute after Estevan Mendes received a second yellow card for simulation followed by the inevitable red card. However, in the very next minute, Sesa broke the deadlock as Dempo defence was caught off-guard by a clever pass provided by medio Jaison to Olivin, who finished with a deft placement, 1-0. Dempo tried hard to equalize in the dying minutes but failed to create any threats.
