Thursday 28 Mar 2024

Velsao hold Vasco for first point

Teams play goalless but entertaining draw at Duler; port towners take tally to five points

| OCTOBER 31, 2018, 03:59 AM IST

the goan I network

DULER  

Vasco Sports Club managed to hold Velsao Sports & Cultural Club to a goalless draw in the GFA Goa Professional League match at Duler stadium, here on Tuesday. With this drawn encounter, Velsao SCC secured their first point while Vasco colts extended their tally to five points from their fourth league match. 

Velsao SCC coach Eban Mesquita, under pressure to notch up team’s first points, started with two strikers upfront -- Joseph Pereira and U-20 player Dylan Rodrigues, while Vasco coach Micky Fernandes played a lone striker Aman Govekar (U-20) in the attack.  

It was Velsao colts who came close twice in opening their account early in the match. In the 15th minute, a 25-yard free kick by Bersal Viegas hit the Vasco’s crossbar. Minutes later, Velsao’s Remedios Vaz sent a curling cross to Joseph Pereira, whose header travelled just past the side post. On the other hand, Vasco striker Aman Govekar was given very little space to operate by Velsao’s stopper backs Michael Silva and Krishnanath Shirodkar.  

It was only in the 45th minute that a stinging free kick by Vasco’s Moises D’Sa was not cleanly collected by Velsao keeper Preston Rego, but Aman was late to connect the ball off the rebound. That was the last real scoring chance for either team in the first half.  

On crossing ends, both teams managed to create many scoring opportunities to take the lead. In the 58th minute, Velsao’s coach brought in Veegan Ferrao from the bench, whose strike at the goal was blocked on the goal-line by Vasco defender Myron Pereira. As the match progressed, another Velsao substitute Manjunath Rathod drilled a right-footer from top of the penalty box which was comnfidently collected by Vasco keeper Sanju Thapa.  

The Port Towners put immense pressure on the rival citadel in the last 10 minutes of the match where a well-executed free kick by Rugved Yeole at the far end of the post was superbly pushed away by keeper Preston with a diving save. And then in the 84th minute, Anil Gaonkar’s blistering strike rebounded of the post and the ball rolled to substitute Jaison Vales, whose strike was blocked by a Velsao defender. In the 90th minute, Velsao should have scored the winning goal, but a curling effort from Manjunath Rathod hit the crossbar.  

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