PANAJI
Sporting Clube de Goa overpowered Panjim Footballers with a 5-0 win in the Goa Football Association Selvel Goa Professional League at Duler Stadium, Mapusa, on Saturday.
Akeraj Martins (40’, 45’) scored a brace while Rohit Totad (19’), Philip Odogwu (50’) and Gaurav Kankonkar (68’) were the other goal scorers for the Flaming Oranje.
With this win, Sporting Clube climbed to the top of the league table with 19 points from nine games while Panjim remain on 10 points from equal outings.
Sporting Clube came close to scoring in the eighth minute from a set-piece. Myron Fernandes whipped in a delivery from the left at the far post which Alton Vaz managed to get a touch on but it wasn't sufficient to put the ball into the back of the net.
The Flaming Oranje broke the deadlock in the 19th minute when Myron sent another dangerous ball in the box at the far post and Marcus kept the attack going by sending the ball back into the goal area where Rohit Totad buried it home to take the lead.
Sporting Clube doubled the lead in the 40th minute when Myron threaded a pass to Gautam on the right flank. The midfielder sent in a low cross in the box which was brilliantly backheeled into the goal by Akeraj Martins to score his first goal of the season. Panjim goalkeeper Sherwin made a splendid save to stop Gaurav Kankonkar from scoring from a direct free-kick.
Akeraj consolidated the Sporting Clube lead with another sublime finish just before the half-time whistle when he was fed in the box by Marcus. The youngster got the ball on his right foot and curled the ball into the top corner to give no chance to the Panjim keeper Sherwin Da Cunha.
Crossing over, Sporting Clube continued with their attacking intent and inflated their tally to four goals in the 50th minute. This time it was Philip Odogwu who scored with a flicked header, directing a Myron Fernandes cross at the first post past the Panjim keeper.
In one-way traffic, Sporting Clube scored their fifth in the 68th minute. Myron’s corner was headed at goal by Marcus, which was somehow blocked by the Panjim defence. However, the ball rolled to Gaurav, who scored from a goal-mouth melee.
Panjim had a shot on target in injury time when Krishna Gawas darted into the box and squared to Vallmiky but his low grounder was easily saved by the keeper.
