MARGAO
Sporting Clube de Goa sneaked past Sporting Club Bengaluru 1-0 to secure an important victory in the I-League 3 play-off, at Tilak Maidan, Vasco, on Friday.
With both sides looking for their first win of the campaign, the game kicked off with a cautious approach in the first half, as they meticulously tested each other’s defenses.
The all important goal came in the 12th minute when Biswa found left back Dheeraj who punted the ball to the far corner of the net.
After taking the lead , Sporting Clube de Goa moved from the right from the offset and this resulted in the home team being brave in taking their chances, with Marcus Mascarenhas and Lloyd Cardozo coming close to increasing the tally but squandered from close range.
Bengaluru set the stage for a dramatic turn of events as captain Souvik Das's rasping shot was well blocked by the Flaming Oranje keeper. In the 38th minute ,Sporting clube de Goa were unlucky when Rohan Rodrigues' volley hit the cross bar much to the dismay of Sporting supporters.
The second half saw both the teams press hard for goals. Coach Armando Colaco brought in fresh legs with the experienced Adil Khan who protected the slender lead. The visitors suffered a jolt when Doyal Alves was viciously foul by Arjun Jayraj. Referee Rohan Das Gupta flashed a red card late in the second half. However, the Flaming Oranje side could not take the numerical advantage.
Meanwhile, Kerala United defeated Klasa FC 2-1 in the second match of the day.
