Sporting Clube de Goa continued their perfect start to the season, remaining unbeaten as they came from behind to secure a 2-1 victory over Goa Police SC, effectively halting the opponent’s winning streak in the Goa Professional League. The Flaming Oranje showcased resilience and skill in a thrilling encounter at Mapusa’s Duler Stadium on Friday.
The action was intense from the start, and Goa Police made an early statement in the 12th minute. Their leading scorer, Ronaldo Oliveira, capitalized on an error by Sporting Clube’s defense. A long free-kick from Harshad Gaonkar found Sporting Clube’s Joyner Lourenco misjudging control, allowing Oliveira to lob the ball over the advancing keeper Siddharth Rana and into the unguarded net. This quick opener gave Goa Police a surprising lead, setting a challenging tone for Sporting Clube.
Not ones to back down, Sporting Clube responded with tremendous pressure, determined to overturn the deficit. In the 29th minute, a perfectly placed free-kick from Myron Fernandes met substitute Dhiraj Chouhan, who expertly headed the ball past the Goa Police keeper to bring Sporting Clube level. The quick equalizer spurred Flaming Oranje into relentless attacking mode.
Just four minutes later, Sporting Clube seized the lead with a beautiful build-up between Francisco Fernandes and Doyal Alves. Francisco found the back of the net, putting his side ahead 2-1 with a clinical finish, igniting cheers from the stands and securing Sporting Clube’s foothold on the game. Although Goa Police had a near miss with Moises D’Sa’s 25-yard effort, Sporting Clube’s keeper, Siddharth Rana, denied the chance with a swift save.
The second half saw Sporting Clube pushing for a third, with Francisco and substitute Selwyn Miranda’s efforts testing Goa Police’s defense. Francisco’s 30-yard strike rattled the crossbar, and Selwyn’s power shot just narrowly missed, ricocheting off the bar once again.
