Salgaocar down Churchill Brothers to register their eighth straight win in GPL

U-20 Devendra Murgaonkar played an important role in the Green Brigade’s win.

Salgaocar FC registered a fluent 4-1 win over Churchill Brothers Sports Club in the Goa Professional League match played at Duler Stadium earlier today.

With this win, Salgaocar has 38 points from 19 outings, while, Churchill has 19 points from 17 matches.

Salgaocar who had defeated Corps of Signals in their previous round match had two changes as Rosario Mendes and Saeesh Halarnkar made into the cut, while Churchill coach Alfred Fernandes also made three changes to his side which lost to Sporting Clube de Goa in the last match as goalkeeper James Kithan, defender Suraj Singh and Nigerian striker Francis Onayema were back in the starting XI.

Salgaocar started the match on attacking note and came close to scoring in the 6th minute when Gilbert Oliveira curled the ball to Assumption Soares in the box whose goalbound header was nicely blocked by Churchill keeper Kithan. A minute later, Umesh Harijan had a similar chance from Sanson Pereira’s corner but the midfielder saw his header denied by the crossbar.

After some probing attacks, Salgaocar finally managed to break the deadlock in the 20th minute when U-20 star striker Devendra Murgaonkar brilliantly dribbled past Israil Gurung in the box and clinically finished the ball in the back of the nylons to put Salgaocar ahead.

A few minutes later, Nigerian striker Joel Sunday had an easy chance to double their lead when Devendra set up him in the box with a superb curling cross from the right but the striker failed to get on the ball.

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At the other end, Churchill found the equaliser through Trinidadian striker Willis Plaza when he brilliantly dribbled past two defenders and banged the ball home from close to make it 1-1 for his side.

A very next minute, Salgaocar had a chance to restore their lead when Rosario found Devendra at the first post but his shot was nicely blocked by Churchill custodian Kithan.

On crossing over, Devendra should have taken Salgaocar into the lead in the 56th minute when he just had to beat the keeper but the U-20 striker’s weak shot was easily collected by keeper Kithan.

However, a minute before the hour mark, Salgaocar restored their lead when Suraj’s clearance to Devendra’s cross finished in his own goal to make it 2-1 for the defending champions.

Nigerian forward Sunday further extended their lead in the 78th minute when he made no mistake to beat the keeper Kithan after getting a brilliant through pass from Devendra to make it 3-1 for his side.    

Rosario made it 4-1 for Salgaocar in the 84th minute when he slotted the ball home from close off Clencio Pinto’s low cross in the box.