Fhezer Gomes's goal earn full points for Salgaocar against Panjim Footballers

Photo: Anthony Fernandes

Ravish Narvekar

The Greens secured their second win of the season.

Fhezer Gomes came off the bench and scored in the second half to help Salgaocar FC secure a solitary-goal win over Panjim Footballers in the Goa Professional League match played at Duler stadium on Thursday evening.

Panjim Footballers should have found the net within the first five minutes but failed to convert on a couple of occasions. First, Doyal Alves made a brilliant pass to Nicklas Noronha inside the box but Salgaocar keeper Jason D'Mello left his place to deny an early lead for Panjim. Later, Salgaocar right back Umang Gaikwad made a timely clearance before Nicklas could send the ball into the net.

Salgaocar also had two opportunities in the next few minutes where Umang Gaikwad came with a pinpoint cross to U20 forward Shaviz Pathan in the rivals' box but the lad's header went over the crossbar. They once again came close to taking the lead as this time Shawn Pereira tried to find Shaviz with a long ball in the box but Panjim defender Dhiraj Chouhan intercepted the same at the cost of a corner.

Panjim once again raided rivals' cathedral with two back-to-back attacks but first Dhiraj saw his header sail over the frame, while Frazier Castanha's sparkling shot deflect off a Salgaocar defender and went out for a corner.

At the other end, Dhiraj rescued Panjim with a timely clearance to thwart Salgaocar's Samuel Costa floater inside the box from the well-taken corner.

Failing to convert chances, Salgaocar made double substitutions at halftime as Fhezer Gomes and Antush Moniz were brought in by their coach Levino Pereira.

And the substitute Fhezer proved coach with a brilliant goal within three minutes where he got hold of the ball inside the rival box and calmly finished the ball in the back of the nylons to put Salgaocar into the lead in the 48th minute.

Fhezer had a chance to double the lead for his side in the 62nd minute when he easily danced past rival keeper Preston Rego and selflessly found his teammate Steflon D'Costa instead of sending the ball into the net. Steflon who should have made it 2-0, delayed to pull the trigger from inside the box resulting in clearance of the ball.

Fhezer was in the action again in the late minutes of the match where he tried his luck with a fierce strike from the acute angle only to see it parried away by Panjim keeper Preston Rego for a corner.

Fhezer was awarded the Man of the Match for scoring the winner for the Vasco-based club.