DULER
Sporting Clube de Goa were held to a goalless draw by Guardian Angel Sports Club in the Selvel Goa Professional League at Duler Stadium, Mapusa, on Tuesday.
Akeraj Martins showed more confidence upfront in the absence of Marcus Mascarenhas as the lad showed no signs of nervousness and tried his luck early on with a couple of attempts. His second was a threatening move as his left-footed shot forced a diving save from the Guardian Angel keeper.
Later, Sporting Clube de Goa missed a glorious chance to take the lead. With Guardian Angel playing a high defensive line, Rohit Totad played a defence-splitting through pass to Rio Fernandes, but the youngster lacked confidence in front of the goal with just the keeper in his sight as he poorly shot straight at the rival custodian.
Sporting Clube's defence stayed compact, making it difficult for Guardian Angel to get into the opposition box. The duo of Clive Miranda and Joel Colaco forced Guardian Angel to resort to long-range shots. But their young player Gopinath Gad used his creativity to get into the area, but lacked support from his team-mates.
In the 19th minute, Sporting should have taken the lead but Akeraj mistimed his flick after Rohit headed in Stendly Fernandes' cross from the right into the striker's path. The in-form striker, who had scored two goals in the last two games, should have done better in judging and timing his shot.
Sporting had themselves to blame for remaining goalless till the half-hour mark as Rio Fernandes missed a sitter. The youngster lacked confidence throughout the first 30 minutes. Brandon Gomes flashed in a cross from the right and with the keeper beaten and an empty goal in front, the youngster fired wide from the face of the goal.
While Sporting Clube kept knocking, Guardian Angel almost struck in the 34th minute. On winning a freekick almost 25 yards out, experienced Fulganco Cardozo stepped up and curled in a perfect shot, which beat the wall and the keeper Ozen, but it hit the crossbar and came back into the play. Stendly's freekick in the 40th minute then narrowly missed the side post.
Crossing over, in the 51st minute, Bhokare played Frendon outside the box but his attempt found the keeper. At the hour mark, Sporting Clube's Rohit was at the receiving end of Brandon's cross but misfired from inside the box. Ozen Silva then had an easy collection off a Joaquim Abranches header as the final whistle saw both teams settle for a draw.
