Team Herald
sports@herald-goa.com
VASCO: Sai Avtar Sports Club, Anjuna stormed into the semi-finals of the HQ-NRB 43rd Bandodkar Memorial football tournament defeating Saligao Sporting Club in the penalty shootout 4-2, at MPT ground, Baina-Vasco, on Sunday.
Both the teams failed to score in the regulation time.
In the 11th minute, Sai Avtar Sports Club got their first chance with Nitesh Salgaonkar providing a dangerous cross from the right flank which was just beyond the reach of Rama Parsekar.
Sai Avtar SC came close to scoring in the 8th minute but a free kick taken by Jesmon Carvalho missed the target.
Sai Avtar SC were consistent in maintaining their offensive and kept the pressure on the Saligao Sporting Club defence. In the 21st minute, another free kick by Pavan Dabholkar was saved by Saligao SC goalkeeper Agustine D’Mello.
Sai Avtar SC had their best chance a minute later, when the corner kick taken by Rohan Kambli was headed by Saprem Divkar, which hit the crossbar and rebounded back into play.
In the 29th minute, Akshay Dabholkar provided a pass from outside the box to Saprem Divkar, who was loitering in the box but the latter’s try was saved by the Saligao goalkeeper.
In the 30th minute, Akshay again looking to score, shot wide from outside the box.
In the 41st minute, Saligao SC got their first chance to score. A disastrous back pass by Navin Shirodkar of Sai Avtar SC was pounced on by Sachidanand Satelkar, who had to only beat the goalkeeper, missed an easy sitter by shooting wide.
In the 44th minute, Ajit Diwadkar provided a dangerous pass to Sachidanand Satelkar which forced the goalie of Sai Avtar Soma Korgaonkar to charge outside the box.
However, he deliberately handled the ball outside the box which earned him a yellow card and a free kick was awarded to Saligao SC for that reason, just outside the box. The free kick taken by Swanand Naik was deflected by the wall of the opponents.
In the 47th minute, Sai Avtar SC came close to scoring again with an accurate cross provided by Nitesh Salgaonkar being squandered from close range by Saprem Divkar, who shot wide.
Both teams tired their level best to score but despite having their share of chances to get ahead could not convert into a goal, leaving the match to be decided by penalty shootout.
Rohan Kambli, Dinesh Moraskar, Vilhas Pednekar, Saprem Divkar were successful in scoring while Nitesh Salgaonkar shot wide for Sai Avtar SC.
For Saligao Sporting Club, Swanand Naik, Craig Menezes were successful and Videsh Satardekar shot wide and Niazi Shaikh’s try was denied by the Sai Avtar SC goalkeeper.
Man-of-the-Match was awarded to Sachidanand Satelkar of Saligao Sporting Club by Rajan Bhosle, president of Baina Sports Club.
