the goan I network
MARGAO
Goa Velha Sports Club came from behind to defeat Holy Cross Sports Club, Arambol 2-1 in their concluding match and avoided relegation in Geno GFA First Division League. Goa Velha were trailing 0-1 at half time at SAG Artificial Turf, Fatorda on Tuesday.
Holy Cross Sports Club dominated the proceedings and enjoyed better ball possession and broke the deadlock in the 27th minute when captain Hemant Rodrigues slotted past the rival goalkeeeper with a snap shot off a Nikil Naik through pass. Knowing that win was needed to escape the drop, Goa Velha launched barrage of attacks but Arambol defenders stood tall in protecting their lead. Holy Cross Sports Club had a couple of scoring chances but their forwards wasted chances from
close range.
Post resumption, Goa Velha Sports Club showed the urgency and their forwards troubled the rival defence with continuous raids but the equaliser eluded them. At the other end, Holy Cross Sports Club had a couple of scoring chances but their forwards squandered from close range.
Goa Velha Sports Club’s equaliser came in the 68th minute when Arun Naik floated a flag kick inside the rival penalty box and Sanjeev Kunkolkar’s thumping header beat the Holy Cross Sports Club goalkeeper Siddarth Simepurskar. Stunned by the equaliser, Holy Cross Sports Club went into attacking mode but squandered the easiest of chance in the 72nd minute when Hemant Rodrigues failed to beat the rival goalkeeper, off a Amit Fernandes cross.
Goa Velha Sports Club struck the match winner late in the second half when Adolfo Caido’s snap shot saw Holy Cross Sports Club keeper fumble with his collection and Arjun Colaco nicely tapped it home. In the bargain, Holy Cross Sports Club goalkeeper Siddarth Simepuruskar got injured and and was replaced by another player.
Goa Velha Sports Club nearly inflated the tally late in the match but Sankesh Harmalkar effected a goalline save off Adolfo Caido’s goal-bound shot. Holy Cross Sports Club had a golden chance to level the scores in the injury time but Keegan Ferrao failed to beat the rival goalkeeper in a one-to-one situation.
With this win, Goa Velha Sports Club collected four points from 13 matches while Holy Cross Sports Club got relegated to Second Division with three points from same number of encounters.
