PANAJI
Goa Police powered past Churchill Brothers with a 3-1 win in the Goa Professional League clash at Duler Stadium, Mapusa on Sunday.
The Police set the tone early, striking just two minutes in when Mayuresh Naik threaded a pinpoint through ball to Ronaldo Oliveira, who slotted it home with composure. They doubled the lead in the 15th minute as Atharv Gadi tapped in from Rui Noronha's precise low cross, created by Saeesh Halarnkar's clever pass.
Churchill Brothers, coming off a tough loss to FC Goa, showed signs of a fightback, particularly after Haokip set up Bijeshwar Singh for a close-range finish in the 68th minute. Despite the momentum shift, Goa Police quickly regrouped. Suraj Hadkonkar’s incisive run down the right flank ended in a perfect cross to Oliveira at the far post, who tapped in his second to seal the victory.
Following a recent win over CD Salgaocar, Goa Police head coach Micky Fernandes introduced tactical tweaks, including Presley Mascarenhas in goal and Samuel D’Souza anchoring the midfield. Churchill’s coach Roberto Fernandes, looking to bounce back from defeat, reshuffled his lineup with six changes, bringing Gairik Roy into goal, bolstering the defence with Atharv Dandekar and Raj Singh, and handing Jobern Fernandes the captain’s armband on the right flank.
