Team Herald
sports@herald-goa.com
MAPUSA: Calangute Association came from a goal down to hold Vasco SC to a 1-1 draw in the Goa Professional League, played at Duler Stadium, on Wednesday.
Vasco’s Lengunhao Koch opened the scoring in the 10th minute, while Calangute Association’s Sidhant Kalangutkar equalised in the 66th minute.
After today’s match, both teams have four points each after their fourth league game. Both sides came into the match looking to recover from defeats in their previous GPL encounters.
For Vasco, midfielders Benjamin Lupheng and Moirangthem Meitei worked tirelessly, keeping their strikers engaged upfront. In the 10th minute, a curling corner from Benjamin Lupheng found defender Lengunhao Koch, who rose high to nod the ball into the net, making it 1-0.
Stung by the early setback, the Calangute colts launched repeated attacks. In the 27th minute, a teasing cross from Richard Cardozo saw U21 player Kenrick Menezes attempt a diving header, which narrowly missed the far post.
In quick succession, in the 31st and 32nd minutes, Vasco’s goalkeeper, Ngamsanglena Haokip, denied goal-bound strikes from both Kenrick Menezes and Richard Cardozo. Two minutes before half-time, Benjamin Lupheng delivered a perfect cross to Shanker Shetye, who, to his team’s disappointment, shot wide from close range.
In the second half, both teams maintained a fast pace. In the first minute after the restart, Calangute’s Tufel Hingora had two back-to-back strikes from inside the 18-yard box, but both were blocked by Vasco’s defence.
As the match progressed, both goalkeepers were tested. Vasco’s substitute Lalnunzama and Calangute’s Richard Cardozo had strikes saved by their respective custodians.
Finally, in the 66th minute, Calangute’s substitute defender, Sidhant Kalangutkar, headed in from a Richard Cardozo corner to level the match at 1-1.
In the 74th minute, Vasco’s U-21 substitute, Kenneth Pereira, sent a splendid cross to the overlapping Lalnunzama, but Calangute’s goalkeeper, Abujam Singh, rushed off his line to make a breathtaking save, ensuring the draw.