MAPUSA: Goan Football Club continued their superb run as they thrashed Football Club de Bardez 4-2 in the Goa Professional League match, organised by Goa Football Association, played at Duler Stadium, here on Monday.
With this win, Goan FC climb to 3rd position with 17 points from 11 matches, while Bardez has 15 points from 10 matches.
Goan FC were the confident side after defeating Dempo SC 3-0 in the last match, while Bardez were in the similar mood as they had come from two goals down to hold Vasco SC to a 3-3 draw in their previous round match.
Meldon D’Silva, Brian Faria, Hayden Fernandes and Kingslee Fernandes made the comeback for the Junior Gaurs, while Viraj Naik, Ronil Azavedo and Danstan were the three changes in the Bardez side.
The junior Gaurs started impressively as they frustrated the opponents with excellent short passing in the first 10 minutes.
However, Bardez were the first to look at the goal in the 11th minutes when their skipper Jessel Carneiro sent a curling cross to Ronil in the box but the striker failed to direct his header from close.
A few minutes later, Goan FC also came with a swift attack as Liston Colaco dangerously moved inside the box but the Bardez defender Gaurav cleared the danger on time.
They had another chance to surge ahead in the 23rd minute when Aaren D’Silva was left with just keeper to beat but his shot was brilliantly blocked by keeper Aliston. Another chance for the Goans went into vain when Liston’s curling free-kick was pushed for a corner by keeper Aliston.
However, in the 28th minute, keeper Aliston had no answer to Leander D’Cunha’s placement from inside the box which finished in the net making it 1-0 for the Goans. Yasir was the architect of the goal with a defence-splitting through pass.
Five minutes later, Bardez should have found the equaliser when their skipper found Shubham Rao Desai with a fine cross from the left but the winger shot wide from the goalmouth.
On crossing over, Goan took just three minutes to double their lead as their defender Lalnunsiama made an easy tap-in from close to Yasir Mohammad’s smart free-kick from just outside the box.
A minute later, they had another chance to inflate their lead but Aaren’s back-heel tap off Brain’s cross was brilliantly blocked by keeper Aliston.
At the other end, Bardez pulled one back in the 52nd minute when their striker Ronil tapped-in from close after receiving a horizontal pass from his teammate Kirtikesh Gadekar.
Five minutes later, Goans had a chance to restore their two-goal lead but Aaren once again wasted an easy chance as he shot on advancing keeper Aliston as the ball went out for a corner.
In the 57th minute, Goan defender Brain was sent off after receiving the second yellow of the match for a reckless tackle on Bardez defender Joliston.
However, it looked like the junior Gaurs had no effect of a man short as they continued their attacking and inflated their lead in the 74th minute when Bardez skipper brought down Liston in the box to give away the penalty.
Liston himself stepped ahead and made no mistake to convert the same.
At the other end, another golden chance came into the Pink Brigade’s way when the Goan defender made a tackle on Shubham in the box as referee Mario Pereira quickly pointed towards the penalty spot. However, Micky Vaz failed to beat keeper Nawaz from the spot.
Goans punished them for wasting an easy opportunity as they made a quick counter-attack where substitute Krishna Pandit calmly finished the ball in the back of the nylons after receiving a through pass from Liston.
In the last minutes of the added time, Bardez scored their second goal when Inacio Colaco made no mistake from inside the box to beat the keeper Nawaz after intercepting a back pass from Jason Barbosa.
However, the late goal made no difference for the juniors Gaurs as they grabbed all three points from the match.
