PANAJI: Sporting Clube de Goa overpowered Panjim Footballers in a 5-0 win to rise up to the top of the table in Goa Football Association’s Selvel Goa Professional League at Duler Stadium, Mapusa, on Saturday. Sporting Clube de Goa are on 19 points from nine games while Panjim remain on 10 points from an equal number of outings.
Akeraj Martins (40’, 45’) scored a brace while Rohit Totad (19’), Philip Odogwu (50’) and Gaurav Kankonkar (68’) were the other goal-scorers for the Flaming Oranje.
Sporting Clube de Goa had come close to scoring in the eighth minute itself, from a set-piece. Myron Fernandes whipped in a delivery from the left at the far post which Alton Vaz managed to get a touch onto, but that was not sufficient to put the ball into the back of the net.
The Flaming Oranje broke the deadlock in the 19th minute when Myron sent another dangerous ball into the box at the far post. Marcus kept the attack going by sending the ball back into the goal area where Rohit Totad then scored from.
Sporting doubled the lead in the 40th minute when Myron threaded a pass to Gautam on the right flank. The midfielder sent in a low cross in the area which was brilliantly back heeled into the goal by Akeraj Martins, to score his first goal of the season.
Panjim goalkeeper Sherwin brought up a splendid save to stop Gaurav Kankonkar from scoring from a direct free-kick.
Akeraj consolidated Sporting’s lead with another sublime finish just before the half time whistle when he was set up in the area by Marcus. The youngster got the ball on his right foot and curled the ball into the top corner to give no chance to the Panjim keeper Sherwin Da Cunha.
Crossing over, Sporting Clube continued with their attack and inflated their tally to four goals in the 50th minute. This time it was Philip Odogwu who scored with a flicked header directing a Myron Fernandes cross at the first post giving no chance for Panjim keeper.
In an one-sided match, Sporting Clube de Goa scored their fifth goal in the 68th minute. Myron’s corner was headed in by Marcus, which was somehow blocked by Panjim defence. However, the ball rolled to Gaurav, who scored from the ensuing goal-mouth melee.
Panjim shot on target in the injury time when Krishna Gawas darted into the box and squared the ball to Vallmiky, but his low grounder was easily saved by the keeper.
