Naihati, Kolkata: Sporting Clube de Goa’s I-League 2 campaign began with a hard-fought 1-2 defeat against Diamond Harbour FC at the Naihati Stadium on Sunday.
Diamond Harbour struck first in the 35th minute when Naro Hari Shreshta converted from the penalty spot. The hosts were reduced to ten men in the 56th minute but held their ground before Girik Khosla sealed the victory in the 89th minute, finishing off a precise cross from Dilip Oraon. Sporting Clube de Goa pulled one back in stoppage time through Vikram Venkatachalam, who calmly slotted home a penalty, but it was too late for a comeback.
Sporting lined up with Abhimanyu Singh in goal, supported by defenders Kunal Kundaikar, Joel Colaco, Joyner Lourenco, and Biswa Darjee. The midfield saw Doyal Alves, Ivon Costa, Dattaraj Gaonkar, and Sushil Meitei dictating play, while Ronaldo Oliveira and Semboi Haokip led the attack. The substitutes’ bench featured Nitish (GK), Dhiraj, Selwyn, Naocha, Samuel, Kima, Myron, Rohan, Joyson G, and Vikram.
The Goan side started with intent, pressing high and testing Diamond Harbour’s defense in the opening exchanges. However, a moment of indecision led to a penalty for the hosts, which Shreshta buried past Singh. Sporting’s attempts to respond were met with stiff resistance, and despite a numerical advantage following the red card in the second half, their final ball lacked precision.
As the match entered its closing stages, Khosla’s well-timed finish widened the gap, leaving Sporting with an uphill task. Venkatachalam’s late goal offered a glimmer of hope, but time was not on their side.
Sporting Clube de Goa now shift focus to their next challenge, facing CFC on February 7 at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Aizawl.
