Dec 20: Former champions Salgaocar SC, Goa and Mahindra United, Mumbai squandered equal number of scoring opportunities that came in their way, culminating the match into a goalless draw in the sixth round of the ONGC I-League at Nehru stadium, Fatorda, here on Wednesday.
Mahindra United has seven points from six matches with four draws and a win, while Salgaocar, who has three draws and three defeats, have collected three points so far.
Salgaocar started off the proceedings on an attacking note with Biju Kumar header went past the goal post after finely connecting on a free-kick taken by Nicholas Rodrigues in the 10th minute.
Though the first half play was confined to the midfield, Salgaocar had major ball possession but their foreign recruits Felix C and Boniface Ambani failed cash in the chances created by the midfielders.
On the other hand, Mahindra relied on counter attacks to surge ahead. Striker Andrews Pomeye did some hard work in the frontline but couldn’t manage to score after all the groundwork done by Steven Dias on the flanks.
Mahindra could have surged ahead in the 22nd minute, but Pomeye headed straight into the hands of goalkeeper Milagrio Medeira.
Salgaocar’s Felix and Ambani went through the Mahindra’s line of defence often but messed it up in the end by either driving straight into goalkeeper Sandip Nandy or shooting off the target.
Felix and Ambani came twice close in the first half to give Salgaocar the lead, but their laid back attitude denied them the chances.
Mahindra players changed their approach in the second half, as they went on the offence right from the start. Steven Dias sent a precision cross from a free-kick into the Salgaocar box in the 54th minute, but Pomeye header directed towards goal, cleared by Medeira.
Mahindra launched series of attacks in the rival citadel keeping the Salgaocar custodian busy for the next quarter. Mahindra almost managed to pull off one through Bello Rasaq’s header from a Steven cross, but it banged the crossbar after a brush-off the hand of keeper Medeira on its way to the goal.
Salgaocar was pushed to the wall to hold their fort. Mahindra lacked their share of luck in the 71st minute when Pomeye’s hard effort got wasted. He went past a defender and the goalkeeper before sliding the ball that gone close to the goal.
On the very next minute, Salgaocar were denied a goal on a counter attack after Agnelo Colaco’s header struck the crossbar off Rocus’ corner. The story remained the same till the end with Salgaocar again missing out a golden opportunity when substitute Agnelo Barretto injury time header pass missed by sliding Felix, who just had to tap into an empty goal.
Mahindra’s defender Harpreet Singh was declared Man of the Match. Referee Pradeep Kumar showed yellow cards to K N Ajayan of Mahindra and Ambani Boniface and Biju Kumar of Salgaocar.
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