MARGAO: Salgaocar Sports Club, despite a second half revival, fell short as the local giants went down to Chirag United 2-1 in an absorbing I-League encounter at the Nehru stadium, Fatorda on Sunday.
Brazilian striker Joshimar Da Silva Martins and a Ashim Biswas deflected effort gave Chirag a two-goal cushion going into the break but substitute striker Beevan D’ Mello’s header after the restart gave Salgaocar a perfect launch pad to get back into the match, however the green brigade frittered away more than a handful of gilt edge chances to taste a bitter defeat.
There were plenty of expectations from Karim Bencharifa’s side who recorded a memorable victory over arch rivals Dempo in the previous round but the Goans made a wobbly start and fell behind inside the first quarter itself.
Chirag striker Joshimar Da Silva Martins, receiving man-of-the-match Denson Devadas’ pass in the 14th minute, suddenly accelerated leaving Rochus Lamare and Agnelo Colaco for dead to enter the box where the Brazilian went down very easily to a rather half-hearted challenge by Salgaoncar right back Milagres Gosalves, only for Kerala referee Santosh Kumar to make a quick decision in awarding a spot kick. Joshimar, the league’s leading scorer, made no mistake with his conversion to go onto 14 goals.
Although thereafter the ball was mostly confined to the midfield, the local team would have been in a much better position if winger Melwyn Rodrigues and defender Rouhallah Samienia could take their chances. Salgaocar, who were showing signs of recovery, were left ruing when a minute before the break their shaky defence, without the suspended Brazilian Luciano Sabrosa, allowed another free run for Joshimar to put his fellow strike partner Ahim Biswas clear inside the box and as the former Salgaocar man pulled in a hard cross the ball got a wicked deflection off Salgaocar wing back Rino Anto to roll into the net as keeper Kalyan Chaubey was left totally wrong footed.
Salgaocar expectedly rung out changes with Beevan D’Mello coming in for the injured Mandjou Keita and Rino Anto making way for winger Lester Fernandes and the substitutions bore instant results with the diminutive Beevan getting in between Chirag stoppers Eduardo Chacon and Kingshuk Debnath to glide in a Rhochus Lamare flag-kick past rival keeper Sandip Nandy in the 58th minute.
The reducer spurred the local team and three minutes later skipper Rochus Lamare, set up by winger Francis Fernandes on the edge of the box, struck a right footer which sailed inches off the crosspiece. Salgoacar in their pursuit of the equaliser threw more men forward leaving their door open in the rearguard but the visitors could not capitalise with Gouranga Dutta and Joshimar failing in their efforts.
The Goan team in need of points made several raids but Chirag defence somehow managed to protect their slender lead but not before surviving some anxious moments in the closing stages with defender Agnelo Colaco’s looping header going agonisingly over and Nigerian striker Ekene Ikenwa’s goal bound effort being effectively blocked by a sliding Eduardo Chackon five minutes before the end.
The win helped Chirag to bounce back in top three of the league standings as they find themselves at third place with 29 points, while Salgaocar are now on 12th spot with 18 points.
