Green horns blank all Signals

NT NETWORK

 

DULER

The new faces of Salgaocar FC took time to adjust. But when they did, they scored four and left the boys from Corps of Signals wondering which way the signal was blown during the Goa Football Association (GFA) Professional League at Duler stadium on Friday.

Playing without most of their senior players, whose contracts were not renewed for this season, the youngsters in the Salgaocar FC roster missed many scoring chances in the first half. Despite enjoying possession, their inability to score added little spark to the otherwise dour Signals performance. However, the story changed once Ronaldo Oliveira started scoring in the second.

Ronaldo Oliveira ended the day with a brace and Mackroy Peixoto and Godfrey Mascarenhas scored the other two.

Salgaocar new coach Levino Pereira fielded a total new side after Salgaocar released six of their star players at the end of the season.

The Corps of Signals management also made a change in their coaching staff with manager Major Chahal JS shouldering the responsibilities with new faces in the lineup.

Salgaocar had scoring chances in the first session by their players failed to find the back of the nets.

Salgaocar’s first attempt was in the 3rd minute when Rollwin Almeida’s blistering 30-yard shot was saved by Signals keeper Niyas Mon. Minutes later Samuel Costa failed to tap into the goal Mackroy’s assist.

In the 20th minute Mackroy Peixoto was back in action but this time his strike hit a defender and was timely pushed for a corner by keeper Niyas.

Salgaocar kept pressing forward and missed another opportunity in the 32nd minute when Godfrey Mascarenhas floater was brilliantly intercepted by keeper Niyas before Devendra Murgaonkar could connect the ball into the goal.

The Army lads had just one good attempt at the rival goal through their midfielder Pawan Thakur, whose goal-bound shot hit a Salgaocar defender and the ball rolled for a corner.

On crossing ends, the Green Brigade colts entered the field like men possessed as they hammered in three goals in eight minutes.

In the 55th minute, Ronaldo Oilveira got the hold of a pass from the midfield and sent in a stiff grounder which crashed into the far corner of the goal, 1-0.

Five minutes later, a corner by Sanson Pereira was cleared by the defender which rolled to Godfrey Mascarenhas whose bicycle kick had no answer from Army keeper Niyas, 2-0.

Hardly had the cheers died down and in the 62nd minute, Mackroy Peixoto netted the third goal, as he superbly curled the ball past the Signals keeper, 3-0.

In the 88th minute a rasping shot by Denil Rebello from inside the penalty box banged the Signals post and the ball travelled to Devendra whose weak shot was collected by keeper Niyas.

Signals had a chance to pull a goal in added time. However, Salgaocar’s keeper Jason D’Mello made his first save of the match, as he timely punched the ball over the post to deny Roshan Singh a goal.

While Signals failed to convert, Salgaocar’s Ronaldo Oliveira netted his brace from an  assist by Devendra, 4-0.