MAPUSA: Penha de Franca Sports Club overcame a strong challenge from St. Anthony’s Sports Club, Assolda before registering a 2-1 win to lift the Reis Magos Panchayat Cup football tournament, at Verem ground, recently.
It was Assolda who held major possession of the ball in the first session of play and had their striker Sunny Fernandes converted from the many opportunities that came his way, the outcome of the match would have been different.
On resumption of play Penha de Franca emerged to be the more dominant outfit and took the lead in the 40th minute of play through Pundalik Naik who scored from inside the six-yard box.
Within a span of five minutes, Penha de Franca doubled the scoring when Raju Padoshi squeezed his way past the Assolda defenders and unleashed a powerful strike which had no answer from the rival keeper.
Assolda tried their level best to get back into the match but could score just once when in the 52nd minute Sunny netted from a solo effort.
Sunny came teasingly close to levelling the scores for Assolda but his header
hit the Penha de Franca horizontal bar.
Shailesh Parulekar, president and other club officials from Reis Magos introduced the chief guest Minister for Tourism and Child Development, Dilip Parulekar.
The other guests included ZP Reis Magos, Rupesh Naik, sarpanch Kedar Naik, deputy sarpanch, Snehal Gaonkar, panch member Felix Rodrigues and others.
Penha de Franca received Rs 50,000 and a trophy while St Anthony’s SC had to be content with Rs 30,000 and a trophy.
Individual prizes were awarded to Best defender: Devendra Kauthankar (Penha de Franca SC), Best midfielder: Succor Fernandes (St Anthony’s SC, Assolda), Best forward: Sunny Fernandes (St. Anthony’s SC, Assolda), First goal scorer: Pundalik Naik (Penha de Franca SC), Upcoming player of the tournament: Alton Vaz (St Anthony’s SC, Assolda). Organizing secretary, Raju Banualikar compered.
