Goa Professional League Roundup – Matchday 19

Wins for Churchill Brothers and Dempo SC and have thrown the Goa Professional League wide open. Churchill Brothers move to the top spot after ending Goan FC’s unbeaten run, while Dempo takes the second spot with a 4-1 win over Guardian Angel SC. Salgaocar FC is four points behind the table toppers with their 5-0 win over Bardez FC.

Churchill Brothers SC go top of Goa Pro League

Churchill Brothers SC continued their unbeaten run to 15 games to climb to the top of the Goa Professional League standings with a 2-0 win over Calangute Association at the 3 MTR Grounds, Navelim.

The Red Machines settled their nerves with a goal in the 16th minute. Sevelon Cardozo intercepted the ball in the midfield and played Nicholas Fernandes through to goal. Fernandes put the ball past the helpless keeper to make it 1-0.

Calangute Association did not make the most of their chances and were made to pay in the 31st minute. Gilbert’s corner kick was flicked on by Rohan in the box. Cyrus Noronha was well-placed to head in the second goal.

The second half was controlled by Churchill, who kept the Calangute attack at arm’s length. Goalkeeper Kunzang Bhutia thwarting Calangute’s main threat Abdoul Fall on a couple of occasions. The I-League side could have added a third goal when Clencio set up Lamgoulen. The substitute failed to beat the keeper from close range.

The Red Machines are now the only unbeaten side in the league with nine wins and six draws. They are on 33 points, one ahead of Goan FC and Dempo SC. Calangute Association remains in the 11th spot with 13 points.

Last man standing: Churchill end Goan FC’s unbeaten run

Churchill Brothers FC ended Goan FC’s unbeaten run in the Goa Professional League played at Ella Ground, Old Goa.

The game was an end-to-end affair at the start of the match with both sides with a claim for a penalty appeal at both ends. Churchill created the first real chance in the 17th minute as Anniston Fernandes’s cross to Wolfe was thwarted by Goan FC keeper Shubam Dhas. Six minutes later, Anniston’s shot off a short corner missed the target narrowly.

At the other end, Churchill keeper Kunzang Bhutia had to make back-to-back saves. First, he thwarted Kingslee Fernandes’ shot from six-yards and before denied striker Lalawmpuia on the rebound.

In the 29th minutes, Anthony Wolfe met Nicholas’s cross from the right flank with a volley that hit the crossbar and landed inches over the line. The assistant referee confirmed the goal to give Churchill Brothers the lead.

The score remained 1-0 at the break.

In the 64th minute, Wolfe scored his second. A curling shot from inside the box from Uttam Rai was denied by the Goan FC keeper Dhas, but the Trinidadian was at hand to tap in from close.

However, the Young Gaurs came back strongly and scored two quick goals. A free kick by Liston Colaco was guided in by Aaren D’Silva in the 66th minute. Three minutes later, the Goan FC skipper, Liston Colaco turned in Aaren D’Silva’s pass to make it 2-2 in the 69th minute.

Churchill regained the lead in the 77th minute. A low cross from Nicholas found an unmarked Wolfe in the box. The striker took a smart shot between Dhas and Meldon D’Silva to make it 3-2 for the Varca-based club.

With the scores level it looked like both the sides would have to settle for a point, but Anthony Wolfe was there at the right place at right time to smash in the third when Gilbert’s shot was blocked by the rival defender and fell into his path, and the foreign recruit made no mistake to slam the ball in the net.

The match was put beyond doubt in the closing stages of the match. Nickson Castanha curled in a free-kick to make it 4-2. Finally, Kingslee Fernandes brought down Churchill skipper Nicholas Fernandes in the box to give away the penalty in the 90th minute.

The skipper stepped up and calmly disposed the ball from the spot kick to hand over the first defeat of the season to the ISL development side with a comprehensive 5-2 scoreline.

Goan FC has been knocked off the top spot, as they slip to third place with 32 points.

Vaz’s hattrick for Dempo clips Guardian Angel’s wings

Dempo Sports Club scored a convincing 4-1 win over Guardian Angel Sports Club at the Ella Ground, Old Goa. The win takes Dempo to second spot in the Goa Professional League table.

Playing at home, Dempo SC broke the deadlock in the 18th minute when Kritikesh played in a cross from the left flank and the former FC Goa striker, Joaquim Abranches, guided the ball to the back of the net.

The first half ended with the hosts leading by a solitary goal.

After the break, Jaison Vaz put Dempo 2-0 ahead in the 50th minute. A cross from Suraj Hadkonkar was turned in from close range.

Once up by two goals, Dempo SC played a composed game which saw them outplay their opponents with the play on their flanks. Jaison added another to his tally in the 64th minute. Latching on a through pass from Gadekar, the striker clinically put the ball in the back of the net to make it 3-0.

Jaison completed his hat-trick in the 82nd minute when skipper Carneiro’s square pass to him required a tap in to make it 4-0.

The visitors scored a consolation in the 84th minute when a Sunny Fernandes shot was crept over the line, despite a desperate clearance attempt by Jessel.

With this win, Dempo SC moves to the top of the table at 32 points while Guardian Angel SC remain on the eighth position with 16 points.

Ronaldo scores four to take Salgaocar to the fourth spot

Ronaldo Oliveria scored four goals in Salgaocar Football Club’s 5-0 win over Bardez Football Club at the Duler Stadium, Mapusa.

Looking to bounce back from their 6-1 defeat at the hands of Churchill Brothers, the Green Brigade started the match aggressively and went in front within six minutes. Sanson Pereira got hold of a defense-splitting pass by Samuel Costa inside the box and beat the Bardez keeper, Elesh Shirvoikar, with a deft placement to make it 1-0.

Salgaocar doubled their lead in the 20th minute. Ronaldo Oliveria smashing the ball into the far corner after being teed up by Rollwin Almeida’s cross.

Salgaocar were on a rampage in the Bardez half and Ronaldo scored the third goal in the 37th minute with a clever dink over the advancing Bardez keeper.

Bardez was given a respite by the referee by blowing the whistle for halftime. Upon resumption, Bardez had a couple of attempts at goal through Richard Cardoz but it failed to trouble Salgaocar custodian, Nora Fernandes.

As the match was drawing to a close, Ronaldo had scored two quick goals. He completed his hat-trick in the 83rd after Devendra’s backheel pass flummoxed the Bardez defense leaving the striker to finish with aplomb. Six minutes later, Ronaldo scored his fourth when he connected to a long ball delivery from Arif Pathan to complete the rout.

The Green Brigade are on 4th spot with 29 points from 14 matches while Bardez FC remain at the bottom with 6 points from 17 matches

With the win, Salgaocar FC is on the fourth position with 29 points, while Bardez FC remains at the bottom of the league table with 6 points.

Velsao’s cultured approach breaches Army defense

A second-half strike by Jesloy Moniz was the match winner for Velsao Sports and Cultural Club’s 1-0 win over Corps of Signals at the SAG Grounds, Utorda.

Both the teams played on equal footing as the ball rolled on from one end to the other with some occasional swift moves.

The defense for both sides kept the opposition strikers at bay for most parts, while the goalkeepers managed to shut out all efforts in the first half.

Corps of Signals striker, Harshad Thube, had a shot at the rival’s goal in the 20th minute which narrowly missed the target. The Velsao keeper, Presley Mascarenhas, appeared to have been beaten at that point.

At the other end, Velsao stitched a couple of moves but the Signals defense marshaled by Nim T Bhutia stood firm, while the Army Men’s custodian, Niyas Mon, rose to the occasion to produce some good saves.

The Signals defense came under pressure, but Niyas Mon stood his ground. Velsao midfielder, Flan Gomes, did not make the most of the three goal-scoring opportunities.

In the 59th minute, Velsao breached the Army defense.

Velsao defender Michael Silva initiated a move on the right flank and after dodging two Signals defenders passed the ball to Jesloy Moniz. The forward took a touch to make space and smashed the ball past the Signals keeper.

Velsao held on to the lead to move to the seventh spot with 20 points while Corps of Signals stay on the ninth spot with 16 points.

Corps hold fort to beat Panjim Footballers

Earlier in the week, Corps of Signals scored a narrow 1-0 win over Panjim Footballers in the Goa Professional League match played at the 3MTR Ground, Navelim.

The Panjim side was dominating the game but was punished for fluffing their chances. Daryl missed two goal-scoring opportunities in the first 45 minutes, while Clifton Fernandes saw his effort being saved by the rival keeper, Niyas Mon.

Corps of Signals also came close to scoring but Panjim Footballers Sherwin D’Cunha was also on top in the first 45 minutes.

Crossing over, Corps of Signals scored the only goal of the match when Pawan Thakur headed in a cross from the left, which deflected off a Panjim Footballers defender before entering the net.

In the final 10 minutes of the game, Panjim came close to scoring on two occasions. First Daryl failed to connect his shot and then Clifton continued his miserable evening by firing wide.

Signals also had a chance to double the tally but Sherwin came with a point-blank save to stop Pawan from netting his second. Panjim’s Samson Simoes missed another chance to level terms when he was set on goal by Clifton.

The loss has Panjim Footballers stuck on 10th place with 14 points.