Vasco:
Sporting Clube de Goa
continued with their winning ways as they ended
SC Bengaluru
’s seven-match unbeaten streak with a 4-3 win in an
I-League
2 clash at the Tilak Maidan, here, on Thursday.
The former international was a second half substitute and scored the winner four minutes from time to give Sporting three crucial points and keep them in contention for the top-two spot that will help them qualify for the I-League.
Alister Anthony (1’), Doyal Alves (45+) and Biswas Darjee (56’) were the other scorers for Sporting.
League leaders Bengaluru kept up the pressure and scored through Thonyon Shimray (16, 70’) and Johnson Mathews (81’).
Elsewhere,
Sudeva Delhi FC
defeated Kenkre FC 5-3 in another high-scoring match in Mumbai.
Sporting’s third straight win helped them move to the fourth spot in the standings with 19 points after 11 rounds. The home team ended Bengaluru’s seven-match unbeaten run, but the visitors are on top of the table with 24 points.
FC Bengaluru United are second with 20 points, followed by Sudeva in third with 20 points.
Dempo
, the other Goan team in the fray, are placed fifth with 18 points.
“We have to carry on with the same momentum and cannot afford to drop any more points. I am proud of the fight the team put up today,” Sporting technical advisor Climax Lawrence told TOI after the game.
Sporting got a dream start and surged ahead in the very first minute. Rohan Rodrigues found Doyal, and even though the latter lost possession, Alister won the ball and unleashed a deft grounder that left Bengaluru keeper Niraj Kumar stunned.
However, Bengaluru were unperturbed and equalised in the 16th minute. Shravan Shetty picked up a long ball and entered the box. He was blocked by Sporting captain Joel Colaco and went down rather easily to earn a penalty which was converted by Thomyo.
Bengaluru then enjoyed the lion’s share of the ball, but Sporting scored their second just before the change of ends when Rohan won a penalty and Doyal converted it with ease.
Sporting started the second half strongly and netted their third in the 56th minute after Biswa curled in a beauty.
Bengaluru did pull one back in the 70th minute after Thomyo’s half volley and nine minutes from time Johnson Mathews converted a freekick to tie the scores.
But Sporting kept on fighting. They were rewarded when Klusner Pereira’s corner was headed in by
Adil
for three important points.
Sporting will next travel take on
Maharashtra Oranje FC
in Mumbai on Sunday and face Dempo in what could possibly prove to be a decisive game.
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