the goan I network
DULER
Dunes Sports Club put up a spirited display to hold Salgaocar FC Juniors to a goalless draw in their Geno-GFA First Division League match played at Poriat grounds on Sunday.
It was good defending by the last line of Dunes colts that enabled them to hold the young Salgaocar lads goalless in the first session. After the result, Dunes have two points from two matches while Salgaocar have one point from one match.
After the first 25 minutes of the match being restricted to midfield, the Salgaocar lads came up with three attempts at the rival goal. In the 25th minute, Valentinho Nazareth’s shot from close was blocked by Dunes keeper Shridhar Pujar and then cleared by defender Ryan Pereira. Three minutes later, a long ball by Viven D’Souza inside the penalty box was collected by the keeper before Dylan Lourenco could benefit from the move. Once again, Dunes keeper Shridhar left his charge to collect a ball from a combined move from Prajat Mondal and Flazer Gomes.
The Dunes colts shone in patches but their strikers Sylvester Dias and Eljoy Fernandes failed to penetrate past the Salgaocar’s defensive line. On resumption of play in the 50th minute, Viven sent a squared pass to an unmarked Fhezer Gomes inside the penalty box, who drilled a stiff grounder at the far post but keeper Shridhar dived to push the ball for a corner.
Play was then mostly restricted to midfield. However, the Salgaocar lads did create some fine attacking moves in between but substitute Dunes keeper Alison Fernandes displayed some fine reflexes. The best chance for the Green Brigade came five minutes before the end of the regulation time, when Sheldon Pereira was a bit late to connect an inviting cross by Fhezer into an unguarded goal.
Another god chance went begging for Salgaocar in the added-on time, where a full-blooded strike by Aaron Rodrigues was brilliantly punched for a corner by keeper Alison. Salgaocar skipper Robert Noronha received the Man of the match award at the hands of Sunil Ajgaonkar, GM of Geno Pharmaceuticals.
