the goan I network
DULER
Unbeaten Sporting Clube de Goa trounced Football Club de Bardez 4-0 in the Goa Professional League organised by GFA, at Duler stadium, here on Sunday.
After the win Sporting Clube de Goa stay on top of the league table with 36 points from 14 matches, while Football Club de Bardez have 15 points from 12 matches.
Flaming Oranje, after their resounding 6-0 win over Corps of Signals, came out strongly in the match by pining their opponents mostly inside their own territory and scoring three goals before the breather through Abiola Afuwape, Victorino Fernandes and Sodiq Ibrahim. At the other end, Football Club de Bardez, after their humiliating 7-0 defeat at the hands of holders Salgaocar, found it difficult to contain the onslaught from the title contenders who scored at regular intervals.
It was from the very start of the match, Sporting were camped inside their opponents territory. Daryl Costa and Myron Fernandes were blocked for corners by Bardez keeper David Chauhan early in the match. After Quan Gomes failed to guide the ball into the rival goal in the 18th minute off a diagonal cross from Nigerian Abiola, two minutes later, Flaming Oranje broke the deadlock. A 30-yard shot from Myron Fernandes hit the upright and the ball travelled to Abiola who slammed it into the back of the nylons, 1-0.
The best and only chance in the first session for Pink Brigade came in the 25th minute, but a long lob by Inacio Colaco from top of the penalty box was timely fisted over the post by Sporting keeper Melroy Fernandes. As the match progressed Sporting pumped in two more goals. Victorino Fernandes collected a through pass from Abiola, moved ahead and after dribbling past keeper David placed the ball into the goal, 2-0.
It was a gem of a third goal from Sporting in the 40th minute when Abiola directed his header off a corner from George D’Souza to his compatriot Sodiq Ibrahim who leapt high above the Bardez defenders and nodded the ball into the nets, 3-0.
On crossing over, there were chances missed by the Flaming Oranje. In the 50th minute, Bardez keeper David brought down Victorino inside the penalty box, prompting referee Sharad Naik to point to the spot. Victorino stepped forward but saw his strike smartly blocked by keeper David. In a goalmouth melee once again, Victorino was tackled by Bardez defender and the referee once again pointed to the penalty spot. This time Victorino sent his shot skywards to receive loud boos from the spectators.
At the other end, a fine cross by Bardez Kirtikesh Gadekar from the left flank saw Shubham Dessai head straight into Sporting keeper’s gloves at the first post. In the 70th minute, Abiola moved almost from the centre and after covering some ground sent a through pass to Victorino who was thwarted by keeper David in a one-to-one situation.
Bardez keeper once again came to his team’s rescue as he fisted away a direct free kick by Victorino over the crossbar. Finally in the 87th minute, Flaming Oranje managed to hammer in their fourth goal through substitute Marcus Mascarenhas who scored from close quarters, 4-0.
