DULER
An eighth minute strike from Umesh Harijan enabled Salgaocar Football Club to register a solitary goal win over Goan Football Club in the Goa Professional League match organised by GFA, at Duler stadium, here on Friday. After Friday’s match, Salgaocar FC have 11 points from six matches, while Goan FC stay on 11 points from eight matches.
The first session was fully dominated by the Green Brigade as they made a series of raids on the rival citadel time and again. In the absence of Liston Colaco, Princeton Rebello, Yasir Mohammad and Franzil Issac Negredo, Goan FC outfit shone only
in patches.
In the 7th minute, Salgaocar came with a fine move inside the penalty box as U-20 player Ribhav Sardessai combined with Nigerian Yinka Joel Sunday, who in turn set up U-20 player Devendra Murgaonkar, who fired a left-footer at the goal which was parried away for a corner by the young Gaurs keeper Shubham Dhas. From the resultant corner by Gilbert Oliveira, keeper Shubham managed to only push the ball into the path of Umesh Harijan, who slotted the ball into the back of Goan FC nylons, 1-0.
Just two minutes later, Gaurs’ Jason Barbosa sent a floater at the goal but Salgaocar’s Sourabh Patil headed the ball for a corner before Aaren D’Silva could create any damage. As the match progressed, Gilbert’s free kick went just past the goal post, while Joel Sunday saw his half volley being collected by rival keeper Shubham.
In the 25th minute, the Green Brigade should have almost doubled their lead, but a 25-yard scorching right-footer from Mackroy Peixote was timely swayed over the post by the keeper. In the last five minutes of the first half, an intelligent placement by Joel Sunday caught the Young Gaurs keeper Shubham on the wrong foot, but the placement hit the far goal post.
At the end a minute before the breather, Aaren D’Silva sent a defence-splitting pass to Krishna Pandit to find Salgaocar keeper S Rajini Kumar leave his charge and collect the ball, in the process getting injured.
On crossing ends, the Green Brigade continued on their domination. Two hot-blooded shots from Joel Sunday were blocked by keeper Shubham. The best chance for them to further increase their lead went in vain as Joel Sunday broke the Young Gaurs offside trap and moved dangerously at the rival goal but failed to score.
At the other end, the Gaurs had their best chance to level terms but Ivon Costa was thwarted by keeper S Rajini Kumar in one-to-one situation. In the 70th minute, Joel Sunday sent a square pass to substitute Andrus John, whose fierce strike was stylishly fisted for a corner by keeper Shubham.
Couple of minutes later, Joel Sunday saw his left-footer from outside the penalty box kiss the horizontal bar and travel out. Young Gaurs keeper was back in action as he blocked a scorcher from substitute Clencio Pinto off a pass from Joel Sunday.
