the goan I network
DULER
Dempo Sports Club came from a goal down to hold Churchill Brothers Sports Club to a thrilling 3-3 draw in a Goa Professional League match, organised by Goa Football Association, at Duler Stadium, here on Monday.
A win from the match would have cemented the runners-up position for the Golden Eagles. However, now they have 45 points from 21 matches, whereas the Red Machines climbed to the 7th place with 20 points from 19 outings.
Both the coaches brought four changes in their starting XI. Dempo coach Samir Naik -- after their narrow 1-0 defeat to Sporting Clube de Goa which ended their title hopes in the last match -- fielded Desmon Pereira, Gaurish Naik, Jaison Vaz and Edwin Viegas, while Churchill -- who lost to Salgaocar FC by a 5-2 margin -- saw their coach Alfred Fernandes start with Suraj Singh, Nicholas Fernandes, James Fernandes and Valerio Rodrigues in the lineup.
It was the Golden Eagles who took an early 7th minute lead when their skipper Castanha superbly curled the ball into the nets from a 20-yard free-kick to put his side into the lead.
The Golden Eagles’ lead lasted just for three minutes as the Red Machines found their equaliser. James Fernandes snatched the ball from Dempo defender Gaurish Naik and made no mistake in beating keeper Agnelo Gomes with a powerful shot from the top of the box, 1-1.
The Golden Eagles once again took the lead in the 24th minute when a Churchill defender failed to clear Latesh Mandrekar’s corner and U-20 midfielder Nestor Dias tapped the ball home from close to make it 2-1.
A change at the start of the second session saw Uttam Rai come on from the bench and the move by Churchill coach Alfred paid dividends. The striker brilliantly danced past two defenders and shot past Dempo keeper Agnelo from the top of the box to make it 2-2.
Energised by the equaliser, Churchill forged ahead in the 53rd minute as their foreign signing, Trinidadian Willis Plaza slotted the ball into the back of the nylons off Valerio’s fine corner to make it 3-2 for the Red Machines. However in the 65th minute, Kapil Hoble netted the equaliser as he drilled a power-packed left footer past keeper James Kaithan, 3-3.
In the last quarter of the match, Dempo had three glorious chances to net the match winner. Kapil’s strike from close was blocked by keeper James, while Jaison Vaz twice failed to keep his strike inside the goal framework.
PLAYING TODAY
Salgaocar FC vs Goan FC, Duler Stadium, 4 pm
