PANAJI
A 1-1 stalemate between Sporting Clube de Goa and CD Salgaocar saw the points shared at Duler Stadium on Tuesday.
An early strike from midfielder Rohan Rodrigues appeared to set the "Flaming Oranje" on course for their second consecutive win, but a clinical second-half equalizer from Salgaocar’s Joshua canceled out the advantage. The result moves Sporting to 34 points, keeping them as the front-runners in the title race as they maintain their position at the top of the table.
Sporting seized the initiative in the 15th minute when Rohan Rodrigues found the back of the net to break the deadlock. The early goal sparked a response from Salgaocar, with Selwyn nearly leveling the score shortly after, only for Sporting goalkeeper Abhimanyu Singh to produce a sharp save to preserve the lead.
The home team missed a golden opportunity to double their cushion in the 30th minute following a fluid team move. Sporting’s Prince Figueredo initiated a sequence with Rodrigues and Ivon Costa, but Figueredo’s final effort from the center of the park sailed over the crossbar. Salgaocar continued to threaten through set pieces, with Selwyn’s 39th-minute corner causing a scramble in the box before the ball was cleared out of play.
Salgaocar’s persistence paid off in the 59th minute. Capitalizing on a defensive lapse, Joshua found space on the left side of the penalty area. As Abhimanyu Singh moved to cover his right post, Joshua cleverly slotted the ball into the opposite corner, catching the keeper out of position to level the match at 1-1.
The closing stages saw both sides push for a winner. In the 86th minute, Salgaocar nearly snatched the lead from a corner delivered from the left, but Sporting’s Ivon Costa proved decisive, deflecting the ball off the goal line to prevent a certain goal.
The result maintains Sporting Clube de Goa’s position at the top of the table as the league season continues.
