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A solitary goal from Shallum Pires in the 12th minute helped Dempo SC edge past Corps of Signals 1-0 in a Goa Professional League game played at the Duler Stadium in Mapusa on Wednesday.
The game kicked off with Corps of Signals controlling and having greater possession in the first ten minutes as they came with two potent chances. First Cyril Dias’ pass to Th. Roshan Singh was well cleared by Dempo’s defender Naveen Mendes in the 4th minute. Later, Cyril’s shot off Harshad Thube’s pass from the left flank was sent away by the alert Dempo keeper Agnelo Gomes.
But it was the Golden Eagles who took the lead in the 12th minute through Shallum Pires who came from outside to get the ball in the nets off Yogesh Kadam’s corner.
On the counter attack, the army man came close to equalising but Harshad Thube failed to control the ball inside the box in the 17th minute having just the keeper to beat.
Midfielder Pawan Thakur of Corps kept pulling the Dempo’s defense strings as he kept pushing his team forward.
Post the half hour mark the Dempo side pressed hard onto the Corps of Signals defence. Shallum Pires’ curling shot from outside the box was just tapped away by the keeper in the 31st minute. In the earlier minute, skipper of Dempo SC Nickson Castanha crossed the ball in to striker Yogesh Kadam who’s well placed header went straight to the Signals keeper Binu Puruahothama.
Beevan D’Mello’s shot in the 37th minute from the edge of the 18 yard hit the woodwork denying the Dempo side their second goal of the day as they went into the half with a narrow 1-0 lead at half time.
Moving over, Corps of Signals put pressure trying to find the equalizer and came close to scoring on two attempts in the 53rd minute. First Cyril Dias failed to connect well to Th. Roshan Singh’s pass while later Pawan Thakur’s low shot off Cyril’s pass was caught by the Dempo custodian.
The Army side had another chance drop by their side as Roshan Singh’s powerful long ranger from outside the box was punched away by the keeper in the 60th minute.
In the 69th minute, substitute Joaquim Abranches lobbed the ball over to Desmon who crossed the ball inside but defender Romans M.S. cleared the danger away.
Desmon Pereira and Kapil Hoble from the U-20 side of the Golden Eagles played an instrumental part in Dempo’s midfield area.
In the 80th minute, Pawan Thakur came close to scoring as his low strike from inside the box was well caught by the keeper who made a diving save to deny them the equalizer.
The last minutes witnessed Dempo SC create some chances as Suraj Hadkonkar headed the ball inches high from target while later Joaquim Abranches’s shot was well saved by the army keeper as the Dempo side stole all three points in an equally contested match.
Meanwhile in the Goa Football Association’s Second Division League, Xetrapal SC scored a narrow 2-1 win over St Anthony’s SC, at Quitula ground.
Xetrapal SC found the breakthrough in the 64th minutes through Gopal Sirodkar however the joy was short lived as Claudio Rodrigues made it all square in the 70th minute.
Just when it seemed like the match would end in a draw, Gopi Kesarkar scored the winner for Xetrapal SC in the 87th minute.
