Action between Sesa FA and Churchill Brothers at Duler stadium on Sunday.
Photo Credits: The Goan
SCOREBOX: Churchill Brothers SC 0 lost to SESA FA 2 (Shridharnath Gawas 19', Sankalp Kankonkar 68′)
PANAJI
Sesa FA secured a commanding 2-0 victory over Churchill Brothers FC in the Goa Professional League at Duler Stadium on Sunday.
Sesa FA captain Shridharnath Gawas opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the first half after Atharv Dandekar’s foul on Sankalp Kankonkar inside the box. Churchill Brothers came close to an equalizer in the second half when Jobern Cardozo’s powerful effort struck the crossbar. However, Sesa sealed the win as Kankonkar added a second, finishing off a perfectly placed long ball from Myran Pereira.
Coming off a tough loss to Geno FC, Churchill Brothers coach Vaman Chari made two key adjustments, bringing in Scott Fernandes to strengthen the attack and reintroducing captain Trijoy Dias following a two-match suspension from the opener against Sporting Clube.
On the other side, Sesa coach Charles Dias, looking to bounce back from their defeat to CD Salgaocar, reshuffled his lineup with six changes, including Sapam Singh in goal and a revamped defence featuring Sanjoy Singh and Clive Miranda.
Sesa FA dominated early, controlling the midfield and stretching the Churchill defence. Their persistence paid off in the 18th minute when Kankonkar was brought down in the box, allowing Gawas to slot home the penalty with composure.
Kritesh Gadekar nearly doubled the lead with a strike from the edge of the box, but Churchill's goalkeeper was equal to the task. After the break, Churchill Brothers improved, testing Sesa’s backline, and came closest to scoring when Jobern Cardozo’s shot thundered off the bar.
In the 68th minute, Sesa put the game to bed. Pereira’s pinpoint long ball found Kankonkar, who coolly finished to make it 2-0. Churchill’s Bijeshwar Singh tried to spark a late comeback with a powerful strike, but Sapam Singh’s quick reflexes preserved the clean sheet, handing Sesa a well-earned victory.
