PANAJI
A hard-fought battle at the Minerva Academy Ground saw Sporting Clube de Goa narrowly fall 2-1 to Delhi FC on Monday afternoon. Despite a spirited second-half comeback led by Alister Anthony, a clinical double from Delhi captain Himanshu Jangra proved the difference in a high-stakes I-League 2 encounter.
The hosts found the breakthrough in the 19th minute. Capitalizing on a corner from the left, Jangra managed to guide his effort into the Sporting net, giving Delhi an early lead. Sporting looked to respond immediately, earning a succession of corners, but the Flaming Oranje were unable to find the finishing touch before the halftime whistle.
The second half began with renewed energy from the visitors. In the 50th minute, Delhi’s Ayaan Shakeel was cautioned for a handball, and Sporting wasted no time in punishing the lapse. Just a minute later, the in-form Alister Anthony found the back of the net with a composed strike, pulling Sporting level at 1-1.
The momentum shifted again in the 55th minute when the referee awarded a penalty to Delhi FC following a challenge by goalkeeper Avilash Paul. Jangra stepped up to the spot and converted his second of the day, restoring the home side’s advantage.
Sporting were handed a lifeline in the 69th minute after a high-boot challenge outside the Delhi FC box resulted in a freekick. Sanson Pereira took the strike, but his effort unfortunately sailed over the crossbar. Minutes later, Sporting bagged another freekick in similar position, however, once again they failed to capitalise as this time Umair’s strike narrowly missed the target.
While the Flaming Oranje pushed numbers forward in the closing stages to rescue a point, the Delhi defense held firm. Sporting now look ahead to returning home to regroup and find their winning form.
The Flaming Oranje will next be seen in action on May 2, as they host GMSC at the Bambolim stadium. Kick-off is scheduled for 4:30 PM.
