the goan I network
DULER
Guardian Angel Sports Club, playing their last league match of the Goa Professional League, played their hearts out to hold Dempo Sports Club to a goalless draw at Duler Stadium, here on Saturday.
Guardian Angel concluded their season with 34 points from 22 matches, to be provisionally in the fourth position, while Dempo retain their second position with 38 points from 17 matches.
Dempo coach Samir Naik retained the same squad that had given him a 3-1 win against Corps of Signals in their last league match, while Guardian Angel coach Riston Rodrigues brought four changes -- Raunak Gajendra, Nicholas Rodrigues, Perryson Rebello and Mizio Peixoto -- in his starting line-up that had defeated new entrants Panjim Footballers by a
4-0 margin.
The Golden Eagles dictated terms throughout the first session and would have opened their account in the 10th minute when Nickson Castanha found Yogesh Kadam with a curling cross but the latter’s header from close rebounded off the crossbar. Dempo though time and again came threatened the rival citadel, yet Yogesh Kadam, Nestor Dias, Beevan D’Mello and Kapil Hoble failed to keep their shots on target.
On crossing ends, the match was fought almost on equal footing. Dempo in the very 46th minute had an early opportunity to score, when Yogesh delightfully curled the ball in the goalmouth to Beeven D’Mello, who fumbled with the ball.
Angel had their best chance for a goal in the 66th minute as Ghanaian Abel Hammond set up Perryson with a perfect cross from the left but the speedy midfielder failed to control his shot from close as the ball went wide for a goal kick. Another chance went in vain for Angel in the 69th minute when Abel once again curled the ball to Perryson, who cut back it to substitute Yakubu Mohammed but the Nigerian striker’s shot missed the target by a few inches.
The Golden Eagles too had their chances but Suraj Hadkonkar’s grounder was collected by Angel’s keeper Ram Sroop, who was back in action to block a power-packed right footer from just outside the 6-yard box by defender Olan Chandran.
In the added-on time, Angel squandered two glorious chances to return home with a win. Perryson’s curling shot from inside the box rebounded off the horizontal bar, while in the last minute, Yakubu saw his powerful strike from outside the box go just over the crossbar.
