PANAJI
Cortalim Villagers secured a 3-1 victory over Sesa FA in the Goa Professional League Super League at the Nagoa Panchayat Ground on Monday.
Cortalim enjoyed the lion’s share of possession in the first half, dictating play through midfield. However, Sesa nearly drew first blood when Pinto’s defense-splitting pass sent Chaitan Dhabolkar through on goal. The forward weaved into the box and attempted a curling strike to the far post, but his effort failed to find the target.
Minutes later, Sesa made their pressure count. Shetgaonkar burst into the box before laying it off for Pinto, who made no mistake with a clinical first-time finish to break the deadlock.
Cortalim responded with intensity and almost found the equalizer when Espirito threaded a precise ball to Prathmesh, putting him one-on-one with the Sesa goalkeeper. Rather than pulling the trigger, he opted to square it to Norman, but the pass was just out of reach.
They kept knocking on the door as Prabhu’s chipped delivery over the defense found Prathmesh, who saw his initial strike blocked by Myran. The rebound fell back to him, but Akash produced another crucial defensive intervention to keep Sesa’s lead intact.
Cortalim’s persistence eventually paid off when Norman Dias leveled the score. Under pressure, Gaonkar laid it off to him, and Norman coolly fired a low shot into the bottom right corner to restore parity.
With momentum on their side, Cortalim came out firing after the break and wasted no time in grabbing the lead. Prabhu picked out Gaonkar with a perfectly weighted long ball, and the forward raced toward goal before lifting a deft chip over the advancing goalkeeper.
Gaonkar nearly doubled his tally when Ronil Azavedo whipped in a low cross from the left, but he couldn’t apply the finishing touch.
Cortalim continued to press, and their dominance was rewarded once again. Lucas sent a long ball into the danger area, where Norman’s cushioned header found Vaz in space. With the keeper charging out, Vaz showed tremendous composure to dink the ball over him and into the net, putting the result beyond reach.
Sesa threw bodies forward in search of a late comeback, but Cortalim’s defense stood firm, securing an emphatic 3-1 victory and a crucial three points.
