PANAJI
Clube de Salgaocar and Cortalim Villagers shared the spoils in a tightly contested 1-1 draw at Duler Stadium, Mapusa, on Tuesday in the Goa Professional League.
An own goal by Minesh Kunkolkar in the 61st minute gave Salgaocar the lead, only for Alister Fernandes to equalize for Cortalim with a header from a corner in the 80th minute.
The match, characterized by contrasting styles, saw Cortalim dominating possession but struggling to find the target, while Salgaocar relied on long balls to create opportunities.
The first half ended goalless, with Cortalim squandering the best chance in the 35th minute when their left winger fired wide after a quick one-two.
Salgaocar's tactical approach paid off just after the hour mark when a cross from the left flank found Pratesh Shirodkar, whose header was inadvertently turned into his own net by Kunkolkar.
Cortalim's persistence in the final quarter culminated in Fernandes' equalizer, as he rose highest to meet a corner kick and level the score.
The match saw yellow cards issued to Reezvon Fernandes and Isac Zomuanpuia of Salgaocar, and Sidney Lucas and Ronil Azavedo of Cortalim.
