MAPUSA: Vasco Sports Club showed great resilience to hold Sesa Football Academy to a goalless draw and split points in the seventh-round match of the GFA’s Goa Professional League played at Duler Stadium, here, on Thursday.
A win would have really boosted the points tally for both the teams which are stuck in the mid-table of the league but had to return home with a point each with Sesa FA moving to eight points while Vasco SC have five points. Vasco SC were more off a dominant force in the initial proceedings, but their attack did not have the end product and fizzled out once inside the opponents zone.
In the 26th minute, Stephen Colaco’s well taken free kick was acrobatically fisted out for a corner by Vasco SC’s custodian Amit Das.
Vasco SC keeper Das was back in action bringing two back to back two saves two minutes later first leaving his goal quickly to stop Mark Barreto in getting on to the ball and then keeping out U-20 Richard Cardozo low grounder. Crossing ends, some inspired words from coach Charles Dias saw a different Sesa FA side who showed more urgency in their attack but Vasco SC defence held on strongly.
In the 52nd minute, a dangerous cross whipped across the goal by substitute Kunal Salgaonkar found Olvin Cardozo whose firm headed unlucky hit Vasco SC defender and went for a corner.
Sesa FA keeper Nongpoknganba Singh who was hardly tasted in the match brought a smart save minutes later to deny Suraj Mondal`s stinging shot from finding the net.
In the 75th minute, Sesa FA’s Caitano Viegas curling free-kick found Kunal at the far post who would not keep his header goal wards.
Sesa FA almost snatched the winning goal in the added time but were denied by the brilliance of Vasco keeper Amit who had an outstanding match today.
First keeping out Ashley Cardozo rasping shot for a corner from a clever pass by substitute Laishram Meitei and then showing great reflexes to hold on to Kunal Salgaonkar’s header in entering the net from a cross delivered by Vishnu Gosavi.
