the goan I network
PANAJI
Churchill Brothers FC ended Goan FC’s unbeaten run following a comprehensive 5-2 win in the Goa Professional League, in a match played at Ella ground, Old Goa, on Tuesday.
Coming into the game, both the teams were the only sides to remain unbeaten in the league and with the youngsters being the strong contenders this season, Tuesday’s battle was expected to go down to the wire.
Anthony Wolfe’s treble was instrumental in his side’s win, which took them to second position with 30 points from 14 games while Goan FC have just a point more and are on pole position, having played a game less.
With an end-to-end affair in the opening minutes of the game, Churchill Brothers had to wait until the half hour mark to surge ahead when Wolfe scored a brilliant goal as he smashed in a perfect volley after receiving the cross from the right flank. The Red Machines led 1-0
at the breather.
Crossing over, Churchill Brothers were lucky to score their second goal in the 63rd minute when Wolfe tapped a pass from the midfield. However, the young Gaurs came back strongly and scored two goals within two minutes. First, Aaron D’Silva guided in a perfect Liston Colaco free kick and later the duo reversed roles as Liston netted the equalising goal.
With the scores level, it looked like both the sides would have to settle for a point, but Wolfe was there at the right place and the right time to smash in the third when Gilbert’s shot was blocked by a rival defender and it fell into his path, and the foreign recruit made no mistake to slam the ball into the net.
Once up by a goal, Churchill Bros grew in confidence and scored their fourth from a direct free kick through Nickson Castanha. The former Dempo SC full back has now scored five goals in the league with all coming from direct free kicks, a rare feat
to his name.
Finally in the 90th minute, Nicholas Fernandes scored the team’s fifth goal from the spot after the referee had awarded Churchill Brothers a penalty when a Goan FC defender brought down Nicholas in the box. The skipper made no mistake in converting from the spot, to hand Goan FC their first, as well as their heaviest defeat
in the league.
