April 11, Manipur– Sporting Clube de Goa were edged out 1-2 by Neroca FC at the Khuman Lampak Stadium in Manipur on Friday. Sporting Clube de Goa began with strong attacking intent, applying early pressure but unable to capitalize on their chances.
In the 3rd minute, Neroca FC’s Dinesh Singh broke through and found the net, catching Sporting’s defence off guard and shifting the early momentum. Later on, Singh continued to press forward, attempting a header in the 13th minute that sailed over the bar.
The match saw tempers flare in the 18th minute when Neroca FC’s Saphaba Singh Telem was shown a red card following a clash with a Sporting Clube de Goa player, reducing the home side to ten men.
Sporting pushed forward again in the 32nd minute with a promising move inside the box, but the final finish didn’t materialize.
A defensive misstep in the 36th minute, however, proved costly — a lapse from the Sporting goalkeeper led Neroca FC to slot in their second goal.
Sporting lined up with Abhimanyu Singh in goal, supported by defenders Joyner Lourenco, Kunal Kundaikar and Sairuat Kima. The midfield saw Biswa Darjee, Sushil Meitei, Ivon Costa, Dattaraj Gaonkar and Naocha Singh dictating play while Doyal Alves and Vikram Venkatchalam led the attack. The substitutes’ bench featured Rana (GK), Givson, Dhiraj, Samuel, Joyson G, Selwyn, Vikram, Rohan, Myron, HP and Joel.
The second half saw Sporting Clube de Goa pushing hard for a comeback. In the 62nd minute, Biswa delivered a precise ball from the corner, and Joyson finished it off with a smooth strike, putting the team on the scoreboard.
However, the 75th minute saw a missed opportunity when Vikram failed to convert a free-kick after a penalty was awarded to the visiting team due to a foul committed by Neroca FC.
In the 86th minute, Rohan Rodrigues came agonizingly close to leveling the score, but his shot narrowly missed the target from a promising position near the goal.
Despite the tough match, Sporting Clube de Goa demonstrated resilience and commitment throughout. Neroca FC moved to 14 points from 14 matches while Sporting remained at 25 points from 14 matches.
Sporting Clube de Goa will next be seen playing against FC Bengaluru United (FCBU) in an away match at the Dravid Padukone Centre for Sports Excellence in Bengaluru.
