LIGA NOS: SPORTING BRAGA 3-1 PORTIMONENSE
Portimonense spent most of last Friday night chasing shadows as manager Paulo Sérgio’s men were thoroughly outclassed by a rampant Braga 11 which could easily have doubled its goal haul.
Sérgio’s attempt at repeating the defensive formation partially successful against Porto recently backfired spectacularly. Before 10 minutes were up, Ricardo Horta and Paulinho had hit the woodwork while a great Gonda save somehow kept the game scoreless. On the half-hour mark, Paulinho left Portimonense captain Jadson trailing, setting Trincão up for the easiest of finishes.
Gonda still managed to palm away a subsequent goal-bound effort, but the keeper could only watch Raul Silva tap in for the host’s second having parried the original shot as half-time beckoned.
The restart offered no respite, a Jadson slip immediately allowing Trincão to square the ball for Ricardo Horta to roll home the third, and Paulinho again hit the post between more Gonda heroics. Substitute Ricardo Vaz Te finally scored at the other end only to be ruled offside leaving Aylton Boa Morte to grab a consolation goal well into injury time.
Afterwards, Sérgio spoke of “elementary mistakes”, but, in spite of those, without the injured Jackson Martinez and the likes of Dener, Anzai and Boa Morte starting on the bench, Portimonense were never in the hunt.
Things are not about to get better with mid-table Gil Vicente managed by former Portimonense boss Vítor Oliveira coming south on Saturday – the old fox will have the measure of the Algarveans.
By SKIP BANDELE
