Dempo SC's Gaurav Kankonkar receives the Player of the Match prize.
Photo Credits: The Goan
PANAJI
Dempo Sports Club and Sporting Clube de Goa registered wins in the GFA Goa Professional League on Friday. Dempo scored an easy 3-0 win over Sesa Football Academy while Sporting Clube got the better of Churchill Brothers FC by a solitary goal.
At Duler stadium, Mapusa, Dempo started the match on the front foot and it didn't take long before they scored. The goal arrived in the 11th minute where the Golden Eagles played beautiful one-touch football through Jason Vaz and Gaurav Kankonkar, and the latter played LaximanRao Rane through on goal who coolly scored past the onrushing keeper. At Tilak Maidan, Vasco, in a match driven by the best of Goa's coaches -- Armando Colaco and Climax Lourenco for Sporting and Peter Vales and Keenan Almeida for Churchill Bros -- saw the teams dishing out a good display.
At the half hour mark, Necio Fernandes was flashed the first yellow card of the game by the referee when he tackled Sesa FA’s Dyaneshwar Gawas. Dempo SC who had total control of the game doubled the lead just before the break when Suraj Hadkonkar set Necio on the right flank, who brilliantly controlled the ball at his feet before turning and sending a long ball in the area where Jaison Vaz had to just direct the ball in the goal. The goal gave a comfortable two-goal cushion for the Golden Eagles at the break.
In the second half, both teams started cautiously. Sesa FA’s Clencio Pinto went into the referee’s books for a tackle on Gourav Kankonkar. At the other end, Shallum Pires of Dempo was also shown a yellow when he clattered a Sesa FA player.
Dempo scored their third in the stoppage time when the three second-half substitutes combined for the goal. Sheldon Fernandes sent in a good pass to Beneston Barreto on the right flank, where he got himself in a good position and sent in a perfect delivery in the area to Ronaldo Oliveira who had an open goal in front of him. Ronaldo made no mistake scoring past the keeper to seal three points for Dempo. Dempo’s Gourav Kankonkar bagged the player of the match award.
Sporting Clube took the lead in the 6th minute through a strike by their forward Stendly Fernandes. Churchill Bros fought back with Aaron Baretto trying hard. Sporting keeper Bhaskar Jhalmi was the star of the match with some brilliant saves and was rightfully adjudged Player of the match.
Churchill came all out in the last few minutes but a stubborn Sporting defence stood tall.
