Goa Pro League: Dempo back to winning ways, ease past YC Manora

The Golden Eagle’s defender Edvin Viegas scored a brace for his side.

Dempo Sports Club registered an easy 3-0 win over Youth Club of Manora in the Goa Professional League match played at Duler Stadium on Friday.

The Golden Eagles were leading 2-0 at halftime, all thanks to Edwin Viegas who slotted the brace (17th & 45+1 minute) from the set-pieces, while Beevan D’Mello came off the bench in the late and scored the third goal (90+5 minute) to grab all three points.    

Manora gaffer Roque Carneiro made the changes in wholesale following a 1-0 defeat at the heads of FC Goa in the previous match as Joliston Rebello, Melisho Camotio, Caetano Fernandes, Aditya D’Cruz and keeper Alison Soares found their names in the XI for the Salcete based club. Dempo also made two changes to his side which lost to Calangute Association in the last match as Desmon Pereira and Pedro Gonsalves made into the cut for the Golden Eagles.

After a midfield play in the first few minutes, it were Dempo who took the lead in the 17th minute as they were awarded a freekick just outside the box after Manora’s Aditya brought down Dempo’s Desmon, where Pedro’s well-taken set-piece was brilliantly headed in by Edwin Viegas to make it 1-0 for the Golden Eagles.

Manora quickly replied to them with a swift attack in the very next minute as Nicholas Fernandes nicely curled the ball to his onrushing teammate Jason but the lad could not keep his tap on target as the ball went out for a goal kick. They had another opportunity to level back in the 20th minute as Joywin Carneiro brilliantly dribbled past three opponents on his way to enter the box and went for glory but his strike deflected off Manora defender and went out for a corner.

The Salcete side should have netted the equaliser in the 39th minute when Joywin made a brilliant through pass to Melisho who made a darting run and failed to beat Dempo keeper Melroy Fernandes as the custodian brilliantly blocked him in a one-on-one.

The Golden Eagles punished them for not scoring as they netted the second of the match from their second attack in the added minutes of the session as Richard Cardoz’s corner was intercepted by Manora defender Joywin but the ball reached to unmarked Edwin who smartly headed in from close making it 2-0 at the halftime.

On crossing over, Dempo were reduced to 10 men in the 50th minute when Manora’s Melisho brought down Dempo’s Kirtikesh Gadekar where Dempo midfielder kicked the rival player in frustration. Referee Mario Pereira consulted the fourth official Milagres Fernandes and sent off Kirtikesh with a direct Red card for unsporting behaviour and cautioned Melisho for a rough tackle.

Though the Golden Eagles were reduced to 10 men, they still managed to dominate over the opponents with continues attacks. They came close to extend their lead in the 63rd minute when Pedro set up Desmon with a lob pass in the box whose lobbed shot over out of position keeper hit the goal post and went into the hands of the rival keeper. Another opportunity went in vain for Dempo in the 75th minute as this time Desmon sent a through pass to substitute Ariston Costa in the box but Rival keeper Alison came off his line to thwart the Dempo substitute in a one-on-one situation.

Dempo wasted few more opportunities in the last 15 minutes as first, Pedro saw his goalbound strike cleared off the goalline by Manora defender Aniston Fernandes. A few minutes later, substitute Suraj Hadkonkar tried his luck from just inside the box only to see it sail over the crossbar. While another substitute Beevan D’Mello shot over the crossbar from inside the box with just rival keeper Alison at the stake.

However, Beevan finally managed to add his name to the scoresheet in the last minute of the match as Shallum Pires made a swift run and made a low cross to Beevan who slotted the ball in the net to make it 3-0.

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