PANAJI
Calangute Association Sports Club held Football Club de Bardez to a goalless draw in the Goa Professional League at Duler Stadium, Mapusa on Tuesday.
FC Bardez manager Armando Colaco started with four changes as Mirshad K, Lenston Afonso, Myron Mendes and Latesh Mandrekar started the match while Calangute coach Valentine Ezeuzo made the same number of changes as Sunny Fernandes, Valerio Rodrigues and Josley Dias started. He also introduced their newly signed Ivory Coast man Joseph Yao.
Calangute dominated in the entire first session and had a number of scoring opportunities. In the very first minute, Yogesh Kadam found a well positioned Runall Shirodkar in the box but the latter's shot was blocked by defender Rowilson Rodrigues, resulting in a corner. Two minutes later, a backheel by Runall saw Valerio Rodrigues' shot at the goal being cleared for a corner by Rowilson.
Just five minutes before the break Calangute’s Valerio Puny shot from point blank range but it was easily collected by the Bardez custodian. A minute later, Calangute’s Joseph produced a good long ball to Valerio, but his powerful shot was blocked by defender Methew Gonsalves at the cost of a corner. In the entire first session, Bardez strikers Myron Mendes and Latesh Mandrekar did not have one good attempt on goal.
On resumption of play, Bardez came out a transformed unit and had a number of attempts at the rival goal. Jesssel Carneiro tried his luck from distance, which slipped from the hands of Calangute keeper Melroy Fernandes for a corner. Minutes later, Peter Carvalho found Girish Naik with a well placed ball, whose shot from 18 yards narrowly missed the target.
In the 80th minute, Calangute should have taken the lead but Valerio’s free-kick was brilliantly headed at goal by Olan Chandran which was equally cleared on the goal line by Lenston Afonso with a header. In added time, Agnelo Colaco drove a long ranger from the right flank which was pushed out for a corner with a diving save by Bardez keeper Mirshad.
Commenting on the result, FC Bardez assistant coach Climax Lawrence said, “We lost two points. Though we played well in the second half, our strikers failed to convert opportunities into gaols. We will come back stronger in the next match. ”
With this draw FC Bardez move to the fourth position in the table with four points in their kitty while Calangute Association jump to third position with the same number of points.
