the goan I network
DULER
An 87th-minute equaliser by Mathew Colaco enabled Santa Cruz Club Cavelossim to hold Goan Football Club to a 1-1 draw, in the 17th round match of the Goa Professional League organised by GFA, at Duler stadium, here
on Tuesday.
After the drawn encounter, Goan FC have 19 points from 13 matches and are in third position, while SCC Cavelossim have 7 points from 12 matches to be on 11th. Goan FC coach Clifford Miranda brought two changes in his starting line-up -- Leander D’Cunha and Brian Faria -- after their drawn encounter against Calangute Associaiton in the last league match. At the other end, SCC Cavelossim in-charge Severino Fernandes brought three changes by fielding Yogendra Thapa, Samson Simoes and Michael Silva, after their team lost in their last league match by a solitary goal to Vasco SC.
Young Gaurs though dominated and had better of the exchanges, yet their striker Aaren D’Silva did not have one decent attempt at the rival goal. Aaren was substituted at the start of the second session, making way for Yasir Mohammad in the midfield.
Except for a direct stinging free kick in the 31st minute by Hayden Fernandes which was brilliantly tipped over the post by Cavelossim keeper Razak Devsor, the match was restricted to midfield action. In the 3rd minute of the second session, Leander D’Cunha was shifted upfront and he moved dangerously inside the penalty box from the right flank and drilled a fierce shot which travelled over the crossbar.
A curling cross at the far end by Brian Faria in the 53rd minute was controlled by Lalmuankima Hauhnar who sent a square pass to Leander D’Cunha, where the latter coolly tapped the ball home, 1-0. In the last ten minutes of the regulation time, the Young Gaurs had two close attempts at the rival goal. In the 70th minute, a long ball from the right flank by Lalmuankima saw Cavelossim keeper Razak leave his charge to collect the ball just inside the penalty box, before Krishna Pandit could make any damage.
Just three minutes later, Lalmuankima, who was left unmarked by the Cavelossim defenders, tried to place the ball at the far corner but keeper Razak blocked the attempt with a diving save and the ball travelled to Krishna Pandit, whose strike hit the side goalpost.
While the Young Gaurs failed to inflate their lead, Cavelossim found an 87th-minute equaliser when a corner by Richard Fernandes was slammed into the goal by skipper Mathew Colaco to split points with their opponents, 1-1.
