PANAJI
St Anthony’s SC Marna Siolim continued their fine run in the GFA First Division League Group B, defeating Chapora Yuvak Sangh 3-1 in a dominant display at Duler Stadium, Mapusa on Friday.
The Siolim side took early control of the match, with Chandrakant Shirodkar opening the scoring in the 11th minute after a swift move down the flank. Pushparaj Mandrekar doubled the lead just seven minutes later, finishing off a well-worked team move to put St Anthony’s firmly in the driver’s seat.
Chapora struggled to gain a foothold, and things got worse when Siddhant Shirodkar added a third in the 36th minute, capitalising on a defensive lapse to leave the opposition chasing shadows by halftime.
Chapora YS pulled one back in the 61st minute through Chadel Fernandes, who showed composure in front of goal, but the damage had already been done. Despite a more spirited second-half showing, they couldn’t mount a comeback.
In another match, Candolim SC and Cuncolim Union played out a 1-1 draw at Poriat.
Cuncolim Union took the lead in the 39th minute through Shelford Fernandes, who latched onto a loose ball inside the box and slotted home with confidence, capping off a period of sustained pressure from the visitors.
However, Candolim SC found their way back just before the break, courtesy of an own goal from Saiesh Govekar in the 45th minute. A dangerous ball into the area caused confusion in the Cuncolim defence, with Govekar inadvertently deflecting the ball into his own net to restore parity.
The second half saw both teams battle hard in midfield, but clear chances were few and far between.
Despite late efforts from both sides, neither could find a winner, leaving them to share the spoils in what was a hard-fought contest.
