Duler, January 15- Sporting Clube de Goa stormed back with a dominant second-half performance to clinch a 3–2 victory over Guardian Angel SC in their 11th Goa Professional League fixture at the Duler Stadium on Thursday.
After trailing at the break, goals from Ivon Costa, Samuel Costa, and Doyal Alves sealed a controlled comeback win for Sporting, who showed composure and intensity after halftime.
The opening half saw both sides battle for control, with Guardian Angel SC enjoying more possession. Despite multiple set-piece opportunities for both teams, neither side was able to capitalize early on.
In the 15th minute, Sporting came close when Joyner Lourenco threaded a pass to U-20 Kifern Dias, whose effort was deflected by the goalkeeper and went out for a corner, though the resulting set piece failed to trouble the defence.
Guardian Angel SC broke the deadlock in the 36th minute when Pratamesh Gaonkar met a cross from the right flank and guided the ball past defenders Niraj Parekh and Dhiraj Chouhan to put the visitors ahead.
Sporting responded strongly after the restart and drew level in the 57th minute when midfielder Ivon Costa converted from a left corner to bring his side back into the contest.
The momentum firmly shifted in Sporting’s favour in the 71st minute as midfielder Samuel Costa won possession with a strong tackle before firing a swift finish into the net to give the hosts the lead.
Just two minutes later, Sporting extended their advantage when Aaron Barreto delivered a precise ball from the right, allowing striker Doyal Alves to apply the finishing touch from close range and effectively seal the result.
Guardian Angel reduced the deficit in the very next minute through Cyril, however Sporting defence stood tall in the final minutes of the game to close the gap at the top of the table.
With just a point shy of the table-toppers, Sporting Clube de Goa will look to carry this momentum into their next away fixture against Chapora Yuvak Sangh SC at Duler Stadium on January 25.
