the goan I network
DULER
Salgaocar Football Club notched up their straight eighth win as they drubbed Churchill Brothers Sports Club 4-1 in the Goa Professional League, at Duler Stadium, here on Tuesday.
U-20 player Devendra Murgaonkar opened the account for Salgaocar, while Willis Plaza levelled terms for Churchill in the first-half. An own goal from Suraj Singh, and goals from Joel Sunday and Rosario Mendes in the second session helped the Green Brigade to return home with a victory. After the win, Salgaocar stay on 3rd position with 38 points from 19 outings, while Churchill also stay on 8th position with 19 points from 17 matches.
Churchill coach Alfred Fernandes brought back Nigerian striker Francis Onayema, goalkeeper James Kithan and defender Suraj Singh in his starting XI after their defeat against Sporting Clube de Goa in the last league match, while Salgaocar coach Norbert Gonsalves made two changes after their narrow win over Corps of Signals in the last match.
The first half an hour was dominated by the Greens who kept their opponents pinned inside their own territory. In the 6th minute, a curling cross by Gilbert Oliveira was superbly headed at the goal by Assumption Soares, which was blocked by Churchill keeper James Kithan. In the very next minute, Salgaocar’s Umesh Harijan connected his header off a corner by Sanson Pereira which rebounded off the crossbar.
However in the 20th minute, U-20 striker Devendra Murgaonkar got the better of right-back Israil Gurung in the box and sent a left footer past Churchill keeper Kithan, 1-0. Nigerian striker Joel Sunday had the best chance to inflate the lead in the 33rd minute but the striker failed to control a cross inside the box
from Devendra.
At the other end, Churchill’s Trinidadian forward Willis Plaza superbly controlled a floater from Francis Onayema and, after dribbling past Salgaocar’s two defenders, blasted the ball into the nets at the first post to make it 1-1. Salgaocar had the chance to restore their lead in the very next minute when their skipper Rosario made a superb low cross to Devendra at the first post but his strike from close was bravely blocked by keeper Kithan.
On resumption of play, the Green Brigade proved to be unstoppable as they hammered in three more goals by scoring at regular intervals. After Devendra and Joel Sunday had missed two open sitters for Salgaoacar, in the 59th minute, a great cross from the right flank by Devendra saw rival defender Suraj turn the ball into his own net in the process of clearing
the ball, 2-1.
Salgaocar further extended their lead in 78th minute when Nigerian striker Sunday brilliantly curled his strike from outside the penalty box after collecting a square pass from Devendra to make it 3-1. Salgaocar skipper Rosario Mendes then connected the ball into the goal at the far post off a cross from substitute Clencio Pinto to make it 4-1.
