the goan I network
DULER
Panjim Footballers Sports Club fought gallantly to hold Sporting Clube de Goa to a goalless draw in the GFA Goa Professional League at Duler grounds, here on Wednesday.
Sporting lost the opportunity to climb to the second position and thus continue in third position with 36 points from 16 matches. Panjim Footballers have 15 points from 21 matches.
In the 13th minute, a curling free-kick by George D’Souza was pushed for a corner by Panjim goalkeeper Sherwin da Cunha. Just two minutes later, George sent a long cross inside the penalty box to a well-positioned Marcus Mascarenhas, who with just the rival goalkeeper Sherwin to beat, headed the ball wide.
On the other hand, Flaming Oranje continued in authority and in the 27th minute, skipper Victorino Fernandes getting a ball outside the penalty box, dribbled past a couple of Panjim defenders before seeing his left-footer blocked by keeper Sherwin.
The best chance for Panjim Footballers came in the 36th minute but Daryl Costa failed to get his header off a cross by Chandan Gawas, past Sporting goalkeeper Melroy Fernandes. In the 55th minute, Daryl Costa sent a cross at the far end to Vallmiky Miranda, who controlled the ball and drilled in a strong right-footer, which kissed the far end of the crossbar. Two more chances went in vain for the Captial-city side in the 64th and 66th minute. Vallmiky’s 30-yard strike was fisted away for a corner by goalkeeper Melroy, while striker Cyril Dias failed to guide the ball into the net.
Sporting in-charge Mateus Costa played out all his three substitutions Alesh Sawant, Akeraj Sawant and Brandon Gomes to give some thrust to the attack, but it was some marvelous display by the Panjim defenders that saw them fail to score.
In the 79th minute after much probing, Akeraj Martins sent in a perfect cross just outside the six-yard box to Victorino, whose header was brilliantly blocked by keeper Sherwin with his legs.
