PANAJI
Goals from Malsawmtluanga and Ryan Menezes Jr. ensured a comfortable 2-0 win for FC Goa against Vasco SC in their final match of the GFA President’s Super League at the Salvador do Mundo Panchayat ground on Friday.
With the victory, the Gaurs wrapped up their league campaign, finishing in fourth place on the points table with 27 points.
The likes of Brison Fernandes, Manushawn Fernandes, Hansel Coelho and Nestor Dias returned to the pitch on Friday as Dev Team head coach Deggie Cardozo fielded a completely different playing XI from the one that won against Reliance Foundation Young Champs in the RF Development League on Wednesday.
The Gaurs started well and created goal-scoring chances right from kick-off and were hence able to put Vasco under pressure and force them to commit errors. The lack of good finishing, however, affected the Boys in Orange once again as the scoreboard remained untouched till the 65th minute.
Malsawmtluanga's introduction would change all that as the midfielder came on from the bench at the start of the second half to open the scoring for FC Goa, applying the finishing touch at the end of a brilliant passage of play. He received a ball played through into the box before sidestepping a defender and then slotting the ball past the diving goalkeeper and into the net. Ryan Menezes Jr., who put in a terrific shift throughout the game, netted his maiden goal of the season in injury time to double Goa’s lead.
Saturday’s victory means that the FC Goa Dev Team have now won four matches on the trot since May 4, when they beat Kerala Blasters in the RF Development League. Deggie Cardozo’s boys also triumphed over Mumbai City and RF Young Champs in the RFDL since then, prior to the win over Vasco SC.
