Margao, Nov 23 (IBNS): Pailan Arrows on Friday took Sporting Clube de Goa by surprise with a solitary goal victory in a seventh round I-League encounter at the Nehru Stadium, Fatorda.
In a match that rarely rose above the levels of mediocrity, Narayan Das scored the only goal of the match in the second session to arrest the losing tide in the last couple of matches.
The win took their points tally to 11 points while Sporting Clube remained on seven points.
Sporting Clube took control of the proceedings right from the opening whistle and could have surged ahead in the third minute itself when a misunderstanding between Shouvik Ghosh and goalkeeper Soram Angamba saw Sporting’s Seiya Sugishita with a chance from an acute angle. The Japanese striker, however, could not do justice to the opportunity.
Pailan Arrows played a cautious game and were solid in defending. They allowed Sporting to hold on to the ball but provided no clear opportunities for the hosts.
The closest Sporting Clube came to scoring in the first session was when Ogba Kalu’s long ranger sailed narrowly past the crossbar. Dawson Fernandes also had a chance for Sporting but was dispossessed just when he was about to take a shot at goal from close range.
In the second session, Pailan Arrows’ Alwyn George found himself at the right end of a through ball from the centre but he ended up in a collision with Sporting goalkeeper Gerrard D’Mello.
Pailan Arrows found themselves ahead in the 54th minute in a quick counter attack. The dangerous Holicharan Narzary cut past a defender and unleashed a left footer which the goalkeeper parried away, but Narayan was at the right place to give the finishing touches from an extremely narrow angle.
Down by a goal, Sporting Clube threw everything at Pailan Arrows. But the young guns were steady all through and walked away with full points.
Sporting Clube ended the match with a player less after substitute striker Victorino Fernandes was sent off for a tackle on Milan Singh.
