Registering back-to-back wins for the first time this season, the boys edged past Vasco Sports Club by a solitary goal, courtesy a Desmon Pereira header!
The Eagles who were the designated home team for the evening made only one change to their previous eleven that started against Youth Club Of Manora: Ariston Costa replaced the suspended Kritikesh Gadekar in Midfield who was still serving a one-match ban.
Amongst the two, it was the Eagle’s, who started the game the better of the teams and seemed set to dictate and dominate the play in search for the three points. Earning a free kick in the first minute of the game, it was Pedro Gonzalves who delivered the ball into the box but to no avail from the Dempo attack. Close to conceding on the counter, the boys were almost down a goal as quickly as they had a chance to get one, however, Francisco Fernandes of Vasco was not able to add the finishing touch to his powerful run for the visitors.
Continuing to push forwards and play on the front foot, the boys began to push forwards mainly through Richard Cardoz. His swapping of wings and quick feet proving too much for the Port-Towners to handle.
Dominating possession and playing the entirety of the game in the opposition half, the Eagle’s continued to test the Vasco shot stopper, time and time again. Uttam Naik’s header that was met by a goal-line clearance and Richard Cardoz’s deflected effort were the highlights of the remainder of the first half as the teams headed into the tunnel 0-0 at the break.
At the restart, the Eagle’s entered the field of play with the intention to push from the first whistle! Two penalty shouts in quick succession both fell on deaf ears, as the Eagles fell hard done by the decision and the game continued to miss the decisive goal.Goalless at the 60th, Samir Naik made his first change of the game, bringing the mercurial Suraj Handkonkar for Richard Cardoz and then Beevan DMello for Uttam Naik as the boys continued the search for the first goal of the evening.
The opener finally came in the 77th minute when substitute Suraj Hadkonkar’s cross was met by Desmon Pereira at the far post. The Dempo winger making no mistake with the header, rifling it into the roof of the net. This was the midfielders first of the season having missed the majority of the campaign through injuries!
As the boys celebrated the goal, Samir Naik opted to make his final change of the evening and looked to strengthen the team defensively with his last substitution of the evening, bringing on Shubham Malvankar for Danstan Fernandes. Proving to be yet another master move by Head Coach Samir Naik, the boys saw out the game and earned a huge three points against the Port-Towners, to go level on points with Salgaocar FC at the top of the Selvel Goa Professional League.
