Dempo hold Calangute Association 2-2

| JANUARY 28, 2020, 03:59 AM IST
Dempo hold Calangute Association 2-2

the goan I network

DULER  

A stoppage time goal by Edwin Viegas enabled Dempo Sports Club to hold Calangute Association to a 2-2 draw in the fifteenth round match of the GFA’s Professional League, played at Duler stadium here on Monday.  

In the first leg meeting, Dempo had an easy outing as they had drubbed Calangute Association by a 4-0 margin. For Golden Eagles, the recent matches played were not favourable, having lost to Churchill Brothers and drawn with Vasco SC, Panjim Footballers and FC Goa. For the Calangute Association outfit, it was the same where they too had very poor results having lost to Panjim Footballers, Vasco SC, Guardian Angel, FC Goa and Corps of Signals.  

In an absorbing first session, the teams played attacking football with Calangute Association going into the breather with a 2-1 lead. Dominic Fernandes netted a brace for Calangute while Rajat Harijan scored for Dempo.  

Earlier in the match Calangute’s Malik Mulla and Dempo’s Alber Gonsalves did come close in opening their account. Finally in the 20th minute Beachside lads stunned their opponents with a goal. Dominic Fernandes snatched the ball from Kirtikesh Gadekar and back passed it to Valerio Rodrigues who in turn sent a through pass back to Dominic who scored with a neat placement, 1-0.  

Stung by the reverse Golden Eagles exerted pressure and managed to level terms in the 27th minute, where a long floater by U20 Niraj Parekh was nodded into the goal by U20 Rajat Harijan, 1-1. Dempo should have taken the lead in the 39th minute when Nickson Castanha sent a cross at the first post to his skipper Joaquim Abranches but the latter tapped the ball out.  

At the other end, Calangute’s Gaurav Vaigankar low cross found Valerio who flicked the ball to Dominic whose shot rebounded off the post. Calangute once again surged ahead in the 45th minute when they were awarded a penalty after U20 Malik Mulla was tackled by Dempo’s Alber inside the danger zone. Dominic Fernandes scored by sending keeper Luis Barretto the wrong way, 2-1.  

On crossing over Golden Eagles time and again attacked the rival citadel in search of the equalizer. In the 59th minute a pinpoint cross by Alber Gonsalves saw a diving header by substitute Beevan D’Mello being saved by Calangute keeper Sanij Bugde. Minutes later Beevan missed an open header off Shallum Pires cross while Alber’s header from close was brilliantly pushed for a corner with a diving save by keeper Sanij.  

Calangute’s last line of defence along with their keeper tried to hold to their one goal lead but the equalizer for the opponents came in the added time with Golden Eagles defender Edwin Viegas scoring from a goalmouth melee, 2-2. 

At Sirsaim grounds, Vasco Sports Club registered a 2-1 win over Sesa FA.  


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