Goa Pro League: Sporting Goa and Salgaocar FC play out one-all draw

Claude Gnakpa equalized in the last fifteen minutes to earn Salgaocar FC a vital point as they drew 1-1 with Sporting Clube de Goa in the Goa Super League at the Duler ground in Mapusa on Tuesday afternoon. Sporting Goa led 1-0 thanks to a Jovel Martins‘ strike at the break.

The Flaming Oranje was missing defender Arturo Garcia, midfielder Ogba Kalu Nnanna and striker Dawson Fernandes through injury, while Victorino Fernandes was away on international duty. Custodian Ravi Kumar was back in the goal and Keenan Almeida came into the defence, while Jovel Martins was also back from injury which boosted the team.

The game got off to a frantic pace with both teams looking to stamp their early authority on proceedings. With just 21 minutes gone, Salgaocar failed to clear the ball out of the box which allowed the alert Jovel Martins, who had crept forward from the left back position to intercept the ball and coolly slot it into the corner of the net.

In the second session Sporting Goa continued to grow in confidence and dominate possession, but they failed to capitalize in the final third. Salgaocar started to make clinical runs forward, with left back Fulgancio Cardozo bombing down the flank to apply pressure on numerous occasions.

Fifteen minutes from time, Salgaocar finally found the breakthrough they were looking for after Gilbert Oliveira swung in a free kick, which the Sporting Goa custodian Ravi Kumar parried onto the post, but the ball could not be properly cleared and it fell to Gnakpa who pumped home the equalizer.

Sporting Goa’s Pratesh Shirodkar was adjudged the man of the match, while Jovel Martins won the prize for the best goal of the game.

Sporting Goa moved three points clear at the top with 26 points from eleven matches, while Salgaocar stay fourth but move up to 19 points.