I-League: Pailan Arrows surprise Sporting Clube

Pailan Arrows took Sporting Clube de Goa by surprise, scoring a solitary goal victory in a seventh round I-League match, at the Nehru stadium, in Fatorda, Goa, on Friday.

Narayan Das scored the only goal of the match in the second session.

The victory took their points tally to 11 while that of Sporting Clube stood at seven points.

Sporting Clube took control of the proceedings right from the opening whistle and could have surged ahead in the third minute following a misunderstanding between Shouvik Ghosh and goalkeeper Soram Angamba. But Sporting's Seiya Sugishita was unable to capitalize on the chance from an acute angle.

Pailan Arrows played a cautious game and were solid in defending. They allowed Sporting to hold on to the ball but did not allow the hosts any clear opportunity.

The closest Sporting clube came to scoring in the first session was when Ogba Kalu's long ranger sailed narrowly over 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' Allwyn George found himself at the right end of a through ball from the centre but ended up in a collision with Sporting goalkeeper Gerrard D'Mello.

But they went ahead in the 54th minute after 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.