TEAM HERALD
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MAPUSA: Vaddy SC, Merces edged past Carambolim SC 1-0 in a GFA 2nd Division football league match at Dr Remigio Pinto ground, Taleigao, Monday. The score was 1-0 at half time.
Vaddy started on the front foot and surged ahead in the fifth minute through Sebastiao D’ Mello’s spot kick after Carambolim’s Suresh handled the ball inside the danzer zone.
Stung by the setback, Carambolim tried hard to get back into the game.A promising run by Carambolim’s Newton inside the box was cut short by Vaddy defender Shaun with his timely tackle in the 10th minute.
Subsequently, Carambolim’s Jesvil sent a good pass to striker Flavio, whose rasping half volley from the edge of the box, went inches wide in the 18th minute.
At the other end, Vaddy’s Govind saw his long ranger going wide in the 32nd minute.
Seven minutes later, Carambolim were causing problems for their rivals and thought they had equalized through Newton’s header off a well measured cross from Rinson but assistant referee Domnic raised his flag for off-side.
Just before the lemon break, Flavio’s curling free-kick was blocked by Vaddy goalkeeper Flobert Monteiro.
In the second session, Rinson’s corner kick found substitute Hemant but the latter’s header went inches wide.
Carambolim dominated the proceedings in the last quarter but could not get past the rock solid Vaddy defence.
At Sangolda ground, Milagres Sports Club managed to beat Saligao Sporting 4-3 with referee Ramnath Lotlikar denying Saligao a sure penalty.
Saligao were leading 2-1 when Ajay Diwadkar moved dangerously into the area and was deliberately tripped by a Milagres player, but the referee surprisingly ignored the blatant foul. The Saligao players protested, but to no avail with several fans questioning the referee’s credentials to supervise a Second Division match. Obviously, Saligao were at the receiving end.
Meanwhile, the Second Division match between Saligao United and Penha da Franca scheduled at Duler stadium, Mapusa, today failed to get through. It is learnt that the teams were informed by GFA about the postponement, yet the GFA released the fixture to the Press which was duly carried in Today’s Sports columns.
Several fans, including some sports correspondents, who made it to the venue cursed the GFA for their callous attitude in announcing the fixture, with many remarking that the GFA had gone to sleep and seemed to be enjoying in causing hardships to the public.
“It speaks about the administration which has collapsed. Imagine the GFA cannot even appoint a full-time general secretary for several months now. Some teams have played just one match, others three or four. Some teams are asked to play a match after a big gap, sometimes of 20 days, thus upsetting the rhythm. Then the players village I-cards have been kept frozen for nearly seven months now, then there are several protests pending for months on end, nobody knows about the progress in the preparation of the football team for 3rd Lusofonia Games to be held in Goa,” a club official remarked on the condition of anonymity since he felt that the top GFA officials were averse to any criticism, however true and fair it may be and added that the inter-village tournaments organization was far better than GFA’s.
