Team Herald
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RAIA: In a nail-biting semi-final clash of the 26th All Goa Our Lady of Merces football tournament played at Chinchinim Church ground, Don Bosco Oratory, Fatorda, edged past United Club Nerul 5-3 via tie-breaker after the two sides were locked in a 1-1 draw at the end of regulation time.
DBO Fatorda took the lead in the 30th minute when Hanslum Furtado latched onto a neat pass to slot home, sending his side into the break with a slender 1-0 advantage.
UC Nerul hit back in the 36th minute through Royce Gonsalves, who made no mistake in finding the net to level the score.
The second half saw plenty of drama, with UC Nerul goalkeeper Rupesh Bandodkar pulling off a spectacular save to deny Hanslum’s close-range header. At the other end, Schubert Colaco’s thunderous strike for DBO Fatorda rattled the crossbar, keeping the contest finely poised.
With neither side able to find the winner, the match headed into a tense penalty shoot-out. DBO Fatorda’s Clive Miranda, Valito Miranda, Cayven Araujo, and Hanslum Furtado all converted their spot-kicks. For UC Nerul, Nikhil Naik and Stanley D’Silva found the target, but the decisive moments fell in DBO Fatorda’s favour, sealing their 5-3 victory on penalties and a place in the final.