the goan I network
DULER
Salgaocar Football Club had an easy outing as they trounced Bardez Football Club by a 5-0 margin in the Goa Professional League, in a match played at Duler Stadium, here on Thursday.
The highlight of the match was a brilliant four-goal blitz from Salgaocar striker Ronaldo Oliveira, who scored two goals in each session of play. After the victory, Salgaocar stand at fourth position with 29 points from 14 matches, while Bardez FC languish at the bottom of the league table with 6 points from 17 matches.
The Green Brigade, who had suffered a humiliating 6-1 defeat against Churchill Brothers in their last match, took just six minutes to open their account. Samuel Costa sent a perfect through pass to Sanson Pereira in the box, who took a few steps and shot past Bardez keeper Elesh Shirvoikar, 1-0.
The Greens pinned their opponents inside their territory for the next ten minutes but their star forwards Ronaldo Oliveira and Devendra Murgaonkar failed to capitalise. However, in the 20th minute, Ronaldo doubled the lead for his team as he collected a pin-point perfect cross from U-20 player Rollwin Almeida, and finished the ball at the far post with a stiff grounder from just inside the box, 2-0.
As the match progressed, Salgaocar’s Devendra had three good chances to increase the lead but he failed to score. Also in the 35th minute, Samuel saw his power-packed shot rebound off the crossbar. However, Ronaldo netted his brace and the team’s third goal in the 37th minute when their skipper Godfrey Mascarenhas found Ronaldo with a low cross from the right, where the latter smartly chipped the ball above an onrushing Bardez keeper Elesh, 3-0.
On crossing over, the Bardez unit did try to build some attacks and their substitute Richard Cardoz saw two of his shots at the goal being comfortably collected by Salgaocar’s custodian Nora Fernandes. Salgaocar were back in goalmouth action in the last twenty minutes of the match, where a strike by Devendra from just outside the 6-yard box was headed to safety by Bardez Stephen Martin.
In the 83rd and 89th minutes, Ronaldo struck twice as he gave finishing touches with a back-heel off Devendra’s assist and minutes later, collected a floater from Arif Phatan and placed the ball into the far corner of the goal. In the added-on time, Stephen Satarkar saw his strike from close range being blocked by the
Bardez keeper.
