the goan I network
DULER
A 28th-minute strike from U-20 player, Devendra Murgaonkar turned out to be the winning goal, as Salgaocar Football Club registered a hard-fought win over Guardian Angel Sports Club in the 17th round match of the Goa Football Association Professional League at Duler stadium, here on Thursday.
After today’s third straight win, Salgaocar FC move up to the third position with 20 points from 13 matches, while Guardian Angel stand on sixth position with 17 points from 13 matches.
Salgaocar coach Norbert Gonsalves made one change by starting with Assumption Soares, following their victory against Calangute Association in the last match. At the other end, Guardian Angel in charge Riston Rodrigues brought in two changes fielding Nicholas Rodrigues and Sanwil D’Costa. The services of Yakubu Mohammad could not be availed as he was consigned to a seat in the stands due to suspension.
The first session was equally contested with both the teams having a number of scoring chances, yet in the 28th minute, the Green Brigade surged ahead through a goal by Devendra Murgaonkar (U-20)
In the 15th second of the match, a fine cross by Gilbert Oliveira found Assumption Soares inside the penalty box whose header went just over the horizontal bar. At the other end in the 9th minute, a power-packed right-footer from the top of the penalty box by Angel’s Rayman Fernandes, rebounded off the top corner of the woodwork.As the match progressed in the 20th minute, a curling shot by Clifton Dias saw Salgaocar goalkeeper S Rajini Kumar bring off a diving save.
It was finally in the 28th minute that the Green Brigade took the lead when Angel’s defender Nicolau Colaco fumbled in his clearance off Gilbert Oliveira’s low cross, to find the opportunist U- 20 player, Devendra Murgaonkar tap the ball into the rival goal.
On crossing over in the very 2nd minute, Angel’s Joval Fernandes sent a through pass to an overlapping Perryson Rebello, who took some steps forward and tried to place the ball into the far corner of the goal, only to find goalkeeper S. Rajini Kumar collect the ball.
In the last quarter of the match, the Green Brigade’s Mackroy Peixote, who was well-positioned just outside the penalty box, drilled a stiff grounder that was however,collected by the Angel goalie Ram with a diving save.
Later on, three more chances went in vain from the Green Brigade colts. Two goal-ward strikes by Samuel Costa and Devendra Murgaonkar sailed over the post. In the added time, Samuel Costa’s placement off a cross by Nigerian Yinka Joel Sunday went just past the side post.
