Team Herald
sports@herald-goa.com
MAPUSA: Sporting Clube de Goa came from a goal down to register a 2-1 win over Goa Police SC in the Goa Professional League match played at Duler Stadium, here, on Friday.
In an action packed first session, all the three goals were scored, and the sending off Goa Police SC coach Micky Fernandes was witnessed.
In the 12th minute, Goa Police SC stunned their opponents with highest scorer in the ongoing league Ronaldo Oliveira lobbing the ball into the unguarded goal, when teammate Harshad Gaonkar took a long free-kick, which was not properly controlled by Sporting Clube’s stopper-back Joyner Lourenco to find Ronaldo, who was lurking nearby lobbed the ball over the onrushing Sporting Clube’s custodian Siddharth Rana to net in, 1-0.
Stung by the reverse, Flaming Oranje exerted tremendous pressure and levelled terms in the 29th minute, where a well-executed free-kick taken by Myron Fernandes saw the entire Goa Police SC defence and keeper beaten to find substitute Dhiraj Chouhan nod the ball into the goal, 1-1.
Two minutes later, a fierce shot by U-21 Francisco Fernandes hit Goa Police SC’s Harshad for a corner.
In the 33rd minute, Sporting Clube’s Francisco and Doyal Alves combined beautifully to find Francisco place the ball into the goal, 2-1. Goa Police SC had a glorious chance to level terms in the 39th minute, but a 25-yard shot taken by Moises D’Sa was fisted for a corner by Sporting Clube’s custodian.
In the added time, Goa Police SC goalkeeper Saiesh Kunkolkar brought a brilliant one hand save to deny Sporting Clube’s Doyal Alves from scoring.
In the next minute, a stinging 30-yard strike by Francisco came off the horizontal bar. On crossing ends, in the very first minute, Sporting Clube’s Ngangham Singh took a short corner to substitute Selwyn Miranda, whose stiff grounder at the goal was blocked for a corner by Goa Police SC’s Harshad.
At the other end, a 30-yard free-kick, taken by Suraj Hadkonkar ricochet off the far top corner of the crossbar. Flaming Oranje almost made it 3-1 but Selwyn getting hold of a ball from Doyal moved inside the 18-yard box and drove a power-packed left footer which came off the horizontal bar to Ngangbam who shot skywards.
Goa Police SC
coach sent off
Goa Police SC coach Micky Fernandes was given a direct red card by Referee Jan Rodrigues at the direction of fourth official Vishal Pomburphekar.
While justifying his stand, Vishal mentioned that the coach used foul language. Micky said that he didn’t use any foul language but was directing his players from the line.
Spectators present for the match felt that the decision of the referee was a bit harsh and a yellow caution was the right decision, as the referee had not heard any foul language uttered from outside the ground.
As both the fourth official and coach Micky were arguing, Match Commissioner Parmanand Mandrekar interfered and tried to cool down the issue. Later, the coach was sent to the stands.