TEAM HERALD
sports@herald-goa.com
MAPUSA: Sesa Football Academy fought hard as they levelled the scores thrice to share points with Churchill Bros in a 3-3 draw in a round five match of Airtel Goa Pro League football at Duler Stadium, here, Sunday. The teams were locked 1-1 at half time.
Churchill Brothers are on top of the table with 13 points while Sesa are in the seventh spot with four points.
Jaison Valles scored a brace while Portuguese Euripedes Amorerinha scored the third goal for Churchill. However, Churchill failed to hold on to their lead on three occasions.
On the other hand, Sesa fought hard as Chukwudi Chukwuma’s brace and Yogesh Kadam’s strike secured them a deserving point.
The teams started attackingly but it was Churchill Bros, who surged ahead in the 14th minute when captain Jaison Valles capitalized on a defensive lapse between Sesa goalkeeper Thockchom Singh and stopper-back Jayganesh Goltekar and finished from a narrow angle.
Stunned by the setback, Sesa regrouped and equalized in the 31st minute. Agnelo Quadros sent an intelligent long ball to Chukwudi, who moved dangerously inside the box and fired a shot that beat the rival custodian hands down.
Changing over, Sesa had a golden opportunity to take the lead in the 53rd minute when Glen Martins released Chukwudi on the left flank and the latter skilfully dribbled past a couple of defenders but his effort was thwarted by goalkeeper Arindam in a one-to-one situation.
Subsequently, in the next minute, Churchill scored their second when Anthony Barbosa’s cross was controlled by Jaison, who finished neatly for his brace.
Spurred by the success, the Red Machines could have sealed the match in the 62nd minute when they were awarded a penalty after Bineesh Balan was brought down by Ponif Vaz inside the danger zone but a spectacular diving save by goalkeeper Thockchom left Bineesh frustrated from the spot-kick.
Minutes later, the penalty miss came back to haunt Churchill as Sesa made it 2-2 through substitute Yogesh Kadam, who leaped between Churchill defender Sanjay Balmuchu and William Colaco to hammer in a cross from Perryson Rebello.
In the 81st minute, keeper Thockchom Singh unintentionally dropped the ball inside the goal area, off a long shot by Richard Costa, prompting referee Melwin D’Costa to award a debatable free kick. Portuguese Euripedes Amorerinha finished with a stiff grounder off a Jaison Valles pass.
Sesa went all out in search of the equalizer and Chukwudi sent their supporters into raptures scoring from a goal mouth melee, 3-3, at the end of the regulation time.
In the injury time Sesa almost scored the match-winner, but goalkeeper Arindam thwarted Yogesh off a cross by Chukwudi.
