PANJIM:
The FC Goa development team put on a scintillating display to pick up three important points from their encounter against veteran Goan club Dempo SC. Skipper Liston Colaco opened the scoring early on from the penalty spot when he sent the opposition goal keeper the wrong way. Manipuri attacker Yasir Mohammad scored the second minutes into the second half and striker Aaren D’Silva added a third soon after to give the Gaurs an important victory in their campaign.
It was a fantastic start for the Gaurs who should have been ahead with only a couple of minutes played. Liston was sent through down the right and the Goan attacker ran into the opposition box, pulled the ball back and set up the onrushing Aaren D’Silva who hit his shot straight at the goalkeeper under no pressure. It was a huge let off for Dempo SC.
However, they weren’t so lucky a few minutes later when Liston was brought down in the box from a poor challenge and the referee pointed to the spot immediately. The skipper stepped up and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to open the scoring for the Gaurs.
He had the chance to double his tally soon after when Aaren, under pressure laid the ball to him just outside the box. The Goan took a touch and curled an effort towards the far corner which beat the goalkeeper but ricocheted back into play off the cross bar. Yasir Mohammad then tried his luck from range but the goalkeeper once more kept him out.
Thereafter, Dempo got a grip on the game and began to hold on to the ball for large periods, forcing the Gaurs back. The makeshift FC Goa defence though, was holding firm. Joaquim Abranches had the chance to level the tie from a right wing cross but couldn’t direct his header on target.
The men in blue were the stronger side in possession but were unable to make their possession count. The Gaurs were forced to defend in numbers after Dempo went on the attack to try and get back in the game. Clifford set his men up to attack the veteran Goan side on the counter-attack but they were unable to use this to their advantage in the first half to double their lead as the referee called for time on proceedings in the first half.
The Gaurs came out firing in the second half as they looked for an early goal to double their lead. Yasir was presented with a chance almost immediately after Aaren burst into the box, stole the ball from the goalkeeper and set up the Manipuri attacker who took a first left footed shot aimed for the far post but saw his shot blocked.
Velito Cruz should have been shown a red card following a poor challenge on Krishna but the referee showed him a yellow. The men in white were in the ascendency and saw yet another chance go begging when Aaren found an umarked Veegan Ferrao with a lob on the far side of the box on the left hand side. The midfielder took a touch and shot at goal but was unable to direct it on target.
The early pressure however, finally paid off for FC Goa when Aaren was played through on the right and he pulled the ball back for Yasir waiting on the edge of the box. The attacker took a touch and smashed a left footed effort in at the near post to double the lead for his side. Two became three minutes later after Veegan ran into the area on the left and put a superb ball in across the box towards the far post where Aaren tapped home into an empty net.
Dempo then began to apply pressure on the FC Goa defence in a bid to find a way back into the contest. Mohammad Nawaz in goal was called upon to make a few saves to deny the men in blue while the makeshift defence held strong and kept Dempo at bay.
The Gaurs shifted their focus to defending and were content playing on the counter-attack. They were able to carve out a few chances but weren’t able to convert any of them to score their fourth. As time ran out, Dempo tried valiantly to get back in the game but were not able to score a goal as the referee called for time on proceedings.
