Team Herald
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CALANGUTE: Friends’ XI, Socorro defeated Goa Velha Sports Club 2-0 to book their place in the final of MC Dowell’s No.1 Yaari Premier Cup 2016 Inter-Village football tournament, organised by Calangute Association at Calangute Assocition grounds, Calangute, on Thursday.
Alex D’Souza and Amar Kinlekar scored for the winners.
Socorro began the match on attacking note and came close to scoring in the 3rd minute but Alex shot was saved by the rival keeper.
Socorro forwards kept the momentum going but failed to find the net on couple of occasions.
Goa Velha did not lag behind with hardworking Arun Naik creating a couple of goal bound moves which went abegging.
Socorro had a golden opportunity to forge ahead in the 8th minute but Alex D’Souza failed to score with only the keeper at his mercy.
Alex missed another sitter from close.
Goa Velha came close to scoring in the 15th minute but Socorro Goal-keeper Suraj fisted away a Joseph Rodrigues free kick.
Socorro’s Denzil Sequeira’s effort was saved by the rival keeper while Goa Velha’s Anthony shot wide off mark from close.
Changing over, Socorro started with a bang and almost found the net but Goa Velha Keeper Agnelo rose to the occasion saving a try from Denzil.
Amar Kinlekar failed to connect a Alex D’Souza in the 40th minute and again failed to beat the rival keeper off Pundalik’s
assist.
Alex D’Souza made amends for his earlier misses scoring in the 60th minute of play after receiving a long pass from deep.
Trailing by a goal, Goa Velha went all out in search of the equaliser but their forwards ran out of ideas infront of rival goal. Amar Kinlekar made the issue safe for Socorro beating the rival keeper off Alex D’souza.
Arun Naik of Goa Velha Sports Club was adjudged the man-of-the-match.
