PANAJI
Guardian Angel Sports Club ended their eight-match losing run by stunning Sesa FA 1-0 in the GFA Goa Professional League at Duler Stadium, Mapusa, on Monday, recording their first win in the competition and their first three points after nine games.
This was also the first clean sheet for the Curchorem side. Sesa FA became the first side in the league to fail to score against the Guardian Angel team, who had conceded 34 goals in their previous eight matches. Sesa FA stay on 11 points from eight matches and squandered their chance of moving up the table. The win could see them climb up to the fourth position. Now they need to win their last few games to qualify for the Super League phase.
Coming into the game, Guardian Angel looked the better side right from the first whistle and had early chances in the game. They made a couple of inroads but couldn’t convert. The goal finally arrived in the 13th minute when Frank Adusei got the ball after the Sesa FA defence failed to deal with a long ball. Adusei controlled the ball and fired past the keeper to put his side ahead in the game.
In the second half, Guardian Angel continued their attacking football and second-half substitute Brivon Dias had a shot on goal after receiving a pass inside the box, but his well-placed shot was denied by the post. Minutes later, the first goal scorer Adusei nearly struck the second goal, where he saw his looping header beat the Sesa keeper Ronal Gaonkar but hit the crossbar.
The introduction of Clencio Pinto breathed life into Sesa's game as the youngster created a couple of chances for his side but failed to score. Guardian Angel’s second-half substitute Maxson Cavean Lopes received the marching orders after receiving two yellow cards.
In the final 10 minutes of the game, Sesa went all out to get the equalizer. First, Sanjay who had all the time and space to feed Clencio in the box, chose to pass the ball way ahead of the player, thus denying a chance for Sesa to get the equaliser. Later it was Sanjay’s low cross to Omkar Shetgaonkar, who flicked the ball on target but Guardian Angel keeper Oswin Rodrigues was not in the mood to allow the ball to pass him. He, however, received a yellow card late in the game for his time-wasting tactics.
In the final minutes of the game, Sesa nearly struck the equaliser when Faheez made a darting run in the box, where Clencio was left unmarked. The cross took a deflection off a Guardian Angel defender and fell to Clencio, whose acrobatic overhead kick narrowly missed the mark. Both sides had their officials -- Riston Rodrigues and Charles Dias -- expelled.
