Team Herald
sports@herald-goa.com
MAPUSA: Sporting Clube de Goa riding on their luck got the better of Dempo Sports Club 6-4 via the penalty shoot-out to claim the GFA’s U-16 title, at Duler Stadium, here, on Sunday.
Both the teams were locked 1-1 at the end of regulation time with Francisco Fernandes finding the net for Sporting in the 48th minute while Sheldon Fernandes equalised for Dempo in the 61st minute to take the match into tie-breaker.
For Sporting, Joseph DSouza, Rio Fernandes, Wilson Baa, Francisco Fernandes and Bhaskar Jalimi scored on target while for Dempo’s Necio Fernandes, Laston Baretto and Rajan Kumar scored. Vincy Harji shot was saved.
In an evenly contested encounter, Dempo had the better openings then their opponents.
First Velancio Rodrigues after hoodwinking a couple of defenders let go a fierce shot which was tipped over the bar by Sporting keeper Bhaskar Jalim and then minutes later Vieri Colaco only with keeper at his mercy fluffed his lines from an intelligent cross delivered by Velancio.
Dempo not only kept squandering their chances that came in their way but were also denied by the brilliance of Sporting keeper Bhaskar Jalimi who brought some timely saves to keep his team alive in the contest.
Sporting who were on the back foot surprised Dempo by taking the lead in the 48th minute through Francisco who upon controlling a pass from Joseph D’Souza outfoxed a couple of defenders and beat the keeper with an adroit placement.
But they could not hold on to the lead as Dempo managed to equalise in the 61st minute through Sheldon Fernandes whose low grounder entered the net despite the valiant attempt by the keeper to keep it out to force the match into penalty shoot-out.
