After a barren first half, Vasco Sports Club, Goa scored twice to down local outfit Indian Bank in the eighth National Football League match at Chennai on Friday.
Vasco's Brazilian recruit Edson Tadeu De Castro netted the first goal in the 73rd minute, while substitute Denis Cabral made it 2-0 in the 84th minute.
The Bankmen excelled only in patches and failed to stick to any plan. But the visitors' forwards Carvalho Pereira and Amaechi Tochukwu could not dent the Indian Bank citadel during the whole of first session.
The first half ended with neither team making any impression. The only notable chance came Vasco's way when Pereira took a shot at the bank goal, only to see the ball deflect off a defender's leg and land straight in goalkeeper Edward Felix's hands.
Changing ends, both teams again tried to make inroads. With about 15 minutes to go for the final whistle, Denis Cabral and Edson Tadeu De Castro started showing signs of splitting the bank defence.
Vasco scored its first goal after Pereira's try was nipped by Felix. Collecting the ball from Tochukwu and with defenders Rajesh Kumar Pandey and Kamaldeen Fuard in front, Pereira chipped the ball to the top of the box, for Castro to rush in and boot home.
Indian Bank soon had an opportunity to equalise, but the upright came in the way.