MAPUSA: Velsao Sports and Cultural Club got the better of Calangute Association 3-0 in the Goa Professional League match, at Duler Stadium, here, on Monday.
With Monday’s win, Velsao moved to 14 points from 15 matches and are placed 8th in the table, while Calangute are at the 11th position and have 11 points from the same number of matches.
Needing a win to improve their league standings, Velsao got the all-important goal through Manjunath Rathod who scored a brace and U-20 Flan Gomes.
The ball was mostly confined to the midfield for the first 20 minutes of play wherein the first opportunity came to Velsao’s Laiwang Bohham whose feeble header from Jesloy Monix’s cross landed safely into the waiting keeper’s hands.
Laiwang squandered another sitter five minute later when he could not keep his header from Michael Silva’s long free-kick inside the framework.
Calangute who were on the backfoot had the first look at their opponent’s goal in the 30th minute but Abdoul Fall’s header from a cross by U-20 winger Akash Sanadi was off target.
Two minutes before half time, Velsao took the lead when Manjunath Rathod’s header from a cross delivered by Leny Fernandes crashed into the net leaving no chance to the Calangute custodian.
Velsao lead 1-0 at half-time.
Crossing over, Velsao continued their attacking approach and consolidated their lead in the 60th minute.
Remedios Vaz’s well disguised pass found Manjunath who busted into the box and relayed the ball to Laiwang whose shot was well stopped by Calangute keeper Sanij Bugde but the rolled in the path of Flan who made no mistake in slotting the ball into the unguarded net to make it 2-0
In the 72nd minute, Charles Miranda’s long ranger which was creeping into the nets was well kept out for a corner by the diving Calangute keeper Sanji.
However, Calangute keeper Sanji who had brought some smart save in the match could not prevent the third goal as Manjunath’s low cross from inside the box deflected off Calangute defender Jayganesh Goltekar and entered into the net to make it 3-0.
