PANAJI
Sporting Clube de Goa continued their unbeaten run in GFA Pro League after they brushed aside Corps of Signals 2-0 at Bambolim Stadium on Sunday.
Cajetan Fernandes (30’) and Francis Dadzie (55’) were on target for the Flaming Oranje. With this win, Sporting have gone 11 matches unbeaten in the Pro League and moved five points clear at the top of the table.
Sporting started off on the offensive, creating some good pressure right at the start to put the Corps of Signals on the back foot. The Flaming Oranje had their first chance early in the fifth minute when a well directed corner from Cajetan Fernandes found Victorino Fernandes in the box. The striker managed to get a clean strike only to watch the Corps goal keeper pull off a fantastic save.
Corps of Signals tried to scramble something upfront but their forwards Pawan Thakur and Vishnu Chhetri were kept in check by Loveday and company. Sporting should have taken the lead in the 22nd minute when Daryl Costa made a brilliant run on the right to set up Victorino in the box. The number 14 unleashed a powerful shot but it was again saved by the Corps keeper Niyas Mon, but the rebound was once again shot on target by the Ghanaian forward Dadzie but Niyas once again pulled off a great save.
At the half hour mark, Quan Gomes sent in a long ball towards the box and Cajetan Fernandes took advantage of a mix-up between a Corps defender and the keeper to put the ball into the nylons, giving Sporting the much needed lead. Towards the end of the first half, Daryl and defender Loveday saw the woodwork deny them of two fantastic attempts. The score stayed 1-0 at the half time.
In the second half, Sporting picked up from right where they had left and the opening minutes saw two outstanding dribbles from Victorino on the right whose one touch play with Seriton Fernandes and Dadzie created a lot of chaos in the Corps backline. In the 55th minute, the Ghanaian forward received a good ball from Victorino and he unleashed a powerful left-footer to beat Niyas Mon for a two-goal lead.
At the hour mark, Corps had their best chance of the match when they won a freekick at the edge of 18 yard box. Lalramsanga took a good shot on the target but Cajetan took no risk, heading it out for a corner. It was all Sporting towards the end as a high pressing game allowed very little space for the Corps forwards to operate.
