Flaming Oranje keeper sent off in 22nd minute; match ends in stalemate after goals at death
MAPUSA
It was a marvellous display from an unbeaten 10-man Sporting Clube de Goa as they held Guardian Angel Sports Club to a 1-1 draw in the seventh round match of the Goa Professional League organised by GFA, at Duler stadium, here on Sunday.
After Sunday's match, Sporting have 15 points while Guardian Angel took their tally to 11 points. Victorino Fernandes put Sporting ahead in the 90th minute with Angel's Perryson Rebello cancelling their lead in the 93rd minute.
Sporting coach Mateus Costa retained the team that won the last league match against Calangute Association, while Guardian Angel in-charge Riston Rodrigues brought in three changes in his starting line-up -- Aniston Fernandes, Perryson Rebello and U-20 player Louie Noronha, after having drawn against Salgaocar in there last outing.
In the seventh minute, Angel's Perryson Rebello gave a short pass to a well positioned Joval Fernandes but the latter shot wide. At the other end, in the 20th minute, Marcus Mascarenhas was intelligently set up by Quan Gomes inside the penalty box but the latter shot over the Angel's crossbar.
In the 22nd minute, Flaming Oranje were reduced to 10 men with the sending off their keeper Melroy Fernandes. The keeper advanced to foul Perryson Rebello outside the penalty box in a one to one situation, prompting referee Tejas Nagvenkar to award a direct free kick and eject the keeper. Angel's Nicholas Rodrigues saw his direct free kick being parried to safety by substitute keeper Ozen Silva.
In the 45th minute, Sporting's Abiola Afuwape was well positioned inside the penalty box, but saw his placement at the far corner being stylishly collected by keeper Ram Sroop, while in the very next minute, Sporting keeper Ozen came to his team's rescue to collect a stiff grounder from Perryson.
On changing over, the Angel lads failed to take the advantage of extra men. However, the Flaming Oranje were a transformed unit as they time and again attacked the rival citadel. Brandon Gomes' header off a Glan Martins cross from the right went just over the crossbar. Minutes later, a blistering 25-yard right-footer from Marcus was superbly fisted for a corner by keeper Ram Sroop.
Sporting coach sent in Victorino Fernandes from the bench for Nigerian Abiola Afuwape, and the very same minute Victorino flashed the ball at the goal area but Marcus fumbled to tap it into the goal. In the 73rd minute, Angel keeper Ram Sroop dived to his right to push the ball for a corner off a direct free kick by Cajetan Fernandes.
Sporting's top scorer in the ongoing league, Victorino scored a gem of a goal in the 90th minute as he headed the ball into the goal off a free kick from Cajetan Fernandes, 1-0. The never say die spirit saw Angel rise from a goal down to equalise in the 93rd minute. Glan Martins committed a costly error as his back pass to the keeper was intercepted by Perryson, who beat the onrushing keeper with an adroit placement, 1-1. In the very next minute, Victorino's fierce shot from the inside the penalty box was parried for a corner by keeper Ram Sroop.
