CALANGUTE: Hosts Calangute Association were lucky to prevail over St Mathew’s Sports Club, Azossim 4-2 as they defeated them in the penalties after a goalless draw to move into quarter-finals of MC Dowell’s No.1 Yaari Premier Cup inter-village football tournament, at Calangute Association ground, Calangute, on Thursday.
Both the teams began the match on cautious note and came up with a couple of goal bound moves but the defence stood its ground.
Anthony Afonso of St Mathew SC, foiled Calangute Assn attempts by Deep, Pedro time and again.
Calangute’s Deep Govekar long try missed the mark narrowly. Azossim did not lag behind and came out with good attempts at goal by LynsonVaz and Olvin Cardozo.
After a goalless first half, Azossim continued attacking the Calangute defense with good short passes but failed to find the net time and again. Daniel Pereira had a golden opportunity to put his team ahead but he failed to beat Calangute Keeper Sidharth in one to one situation. Lynson also failed to find net from close.
With few minutes remaining for the final whistle, Calangute Assn almost scored the match winner but Azossim Goal Keeper Nixon came out with a superb save off Pedro Gonsalves while another try from Ashely went inches over the bar.
In the ensuing tie-breaker, Pedro Gonsalves, Rajkumar Naik, Ashley Lobo and Deep Govekar converted for Calangute while Nestor Dias and Filton D’Cunha found the mark for St Mathew Azossim.
Anthony Afonso of St mathew’s Azossim was adjudged the man-of-the-match.
