FC Goa retain top spot with an easy win over Calangute Association

U-19 national team star Princeton Rebello played an influential role in junior Gaurs victory.

FC Goa registered an entertaining 5-2 win over Calangute Association in the Goa Professional League match played at Duler Stadium earlier today.

Goan coach Clifford Miranda made three changes to his side which trounced Velsao SCC in the last match as Princeton Rebello, Liston Colaco and Serineo Fernandes found their name in the starting XI, whereas, Jayganesh Goltekar, Akash Sanadi and Diptesh Naik were the three changes in the Calangute lineup which lost to Salgaocar FC in the last match.

Liston was unlucky not to take Goans into the lead in the early minutes of the match as he cut past few defenders in the box and went for the glory from just inside the box only to see it denied by the woodwork. A few minutes later, another chance went in vain for the junior Gaurs as this time Imran Khan tried his luck from 10-yards but his sparkling strike missed the target narrowly.

At the other, Calangute came close to open their scoring when Mohammed Sashad almost set up Runal Shirodkar in the commanding position in the box but Goan India U-19 midfielder Princeton made a timely clearance to keep his side safe.

Goan finally managed to surge ahead in the 17th minutes when Kingslee Fernandes nicely jelled up with his teammates Liston Colaco and Nestor Dias with a one-two-one passing and found Imran in the box with a superb through pass. The latter made no mistake from inside the box to beat Calangute keeper Shubham Naik to make it 1-0 for his side.

The rest of the session witnessed a dominant play from the Goans where they came with numerous of raids but most of them ended before entering the final third, while some were wasted due to the aimless shooting.

When it was looking like the Goan will enter the dressing room with a slender lead at the halftime, Calangute came with a swift attack where Sahad made a run and passed the ball to Diptesh in the box who released it to Akash in the goalmouth. The U-20 midfielder brilliantly finished the ball in the net making it all square for his side.

It not even a minute from the last goal, when the Beachside took the lead as a low cross from Shashad was tapped in his own goal by Goan defender Meldon D’Silva as Calangute took the slender lead at the halftime.

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However, Goan took just 21 seconds in the second session to find the equaliser as a perfect cross from Liston was headed by Kapil Hoble which hit the inside of the crossbar and Calangute keeper Shubham before entering the net.

Though Calangute custodian conceded in the early seconds, he came with two brilliant saves in the 52nd minutes as first he made a diving effort to deny Liston’s curling freekick from just outside the box, while he once again dived to his left to block Meldon’s header off the rebound.

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Meldon made up for his own goal as he once again put his side ahead in the 71st minutes when his superb header off Princeton’s cross directly finished in the back of the nylons making it 3-2 for the junior Gaurs.

The last quarter saw Goan adding two more goals to confirm their all three points as first, substitute Aaron D’Silva set up Kapil in the box with a short pass whose powerful strike from just inside the box gave no chance to Calangute keeper Shubham, whereas Aaron himself scored the fifth goal for his side in the 85th minutes when he made no mistake to beat the keeper in one-on-one with a scorching shot from inside the box. Princeton, once again was the architect of the goal.