Goa Khabar : Sporting Clube de Goa secured a determined 2-1 victory over Churchill Brothers in a tense Goa Professional League encounter at Raia Ground on Friday. Early drama an own goal, a late red card and decisive goalkeeping shaped a match that swung repeatedly before Sporting held firm to take home the points.
Sporting struck almost immediately in the 4th minute when Doyal Alves slipped in a precise assist for Letzamang Haokip, who made no mistake with a crisp finish to put Sporting 1-0 ahead. But their lead evaporated just two minutes later. A routine throw-in from Rajender Bairola turned disastrous when Sporting goalkeeper Abhimanyu Singh mishandled the ball allowing it to slip through and roll into his own net to bring Churchill Brothers level at 1-1.
Sporting had another promising chance in the 15th minute when Haokip’s effort found Naocha Singh in space but the forward’s shot flew off target. Both teams continued to push, yet neither found the finishing touch needed before the break.
The second half saw Sporting regain control and their persistence paid off in the 64th minute. A well-worked move ended with Alves drifting into space on the left before calmly finishing to restore Sporting’s lead and bring up his second goal of the season.
Churchill tried to respond but Sporting’s defence held strong. Alves almost added another in the 82nd minute with a powerful effort that forced a sharp stop from the Churchill keeper.
Tempers flared deep into stoppage time when Clive Miranda received his second yellow card for a tackle on Rohan Rodrigues reducing Churchill to ten men in the 94th minute. Just two minutes later Abhimanyu Singh redeemed his earlier error with a crucial save, denying Churchill a late equaliser and sealing Sporting’s 2-1 win.
At Duler Stadium, Goa Police SC and Bidesh XI SC played out a dramatic 2-2 draw. Goa Police dominated the first half with early goals from Mayuresh Naik in the 3rd minute and Anant Chandrakant Gad in the 22nd. But Bidesh mounted a spirited comeback late in the match, equalising through Daniel Gomes in the 76th minute and Pratamesh Gaonkar in the 88th to snatch a point.
