NT NETWORK
DULER
Vasco Sports club played with a new spirit under a new management and it was enough for the boys to break the hearts of the hundreds of Calangute Association supporters gathered by registering a solitary goal win in their opening match of the Goa Professional League at Duler stadium on Saturday.
Watched by the biggest crowd of the league, Vasco Sports Club and Calangute Association played entertaining football – which at times had the spectators on the boil- and the only goal of the evening was an own goal.
The new Vasco SC management had Micky Fernandes at the helm while Calangute Association handed over the mantle to veteran coach Agostinho Dias of Saligao. Most of the players were new but the Calangute supporters remained true.
The first half saw tempers flaring on the sidelines and on the pitch. Fortunately the half time whistle played truce as Vasco Sports club went for the breather with a gifted solitary goal lead that emanated from utter confusion between Calangute goalkeeper Savio Paes and new Calangute captain Nicolau Colaco.
Calangute Association started brightly and had two close attempts at the rival goal.
First, Dominic Fernandes’s free kick was not cleanly collected by Vasco keeper Sanju Thapa, but the ball was timely cleared by the Vasco defender, before Franky could create any damage. This happened when the game was ten minutes old.
Just two minutes later, Calangute’s Franky drilled a power-packed right footer from outside the penalty box. However, it was superbly blocked by a diving Vasco keeper Thapa.
Calangute Association were caught all ends up in the 16th minute when a misunderstanding between the Calangute goalkeeper and captain Colaco led to the only goal of the evening and ultimately for the first three points for Vasco SC.
The incident emanated from a long innocuous floater sent into the Calangute goal area by Vasco’s Moises D’Sa. The ball lobbed near Calangute captain Nicolau who back headed the ball towards his goalkeeper who was out of place and the ball lobbed uninterrupted into the Calangute goal, 1-0.
Down by a goal, Calangute went all out in search of an equaliser but Diptesh Naik’s shot was saved by Vasco keeper Sanju and minutes later Jason Lucas shot over the post from close.
At the other end, Vasco’s keeper Savio managed to thwart Moises in a one to one situation.
Calangute lost a golden opportunity to level terms in the 40th minute when Sachidanand Satelkar set up Jason Lucas just on top of the 6-yard box, but the latter ballooned the ball over the post from close.
In the closing stages of the first session Vasco’s Schubert, Minesh and U-20 Aman Gaonkar were cautioned by referee David Rebello for rough play.
On resumption of play, the Vasco colts had two close attempts at the goal early in the match.
In the 48th minute, a stinging right footer from Schubert was stylishly punched over the post by keeper Savio. The Calnagute keeper was at it again when he once again made a breath-taking save as he pushed a strong header from Aman Govekar for a corner off a flag free kick by Minesh.
Calangute had two chances to level terms in the last ten minutes of the game, but Franky Oliveira’s and Jason Lucas’s attempts was collected by Vasco keeper Sanju. Vasco too had their chances in inflating their lead but Calangute keeper Savio made back to back saves to deny Schubert and Beneston from scoring.