Team Herald
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RAIA: In a nail-biting semi-final clash of the 1st Fernando Abranches Memorial Trophy 2025 football tournament, hosts United Club of Verna secured the final berth with a 5-3 victory over Navelim Sporting vie a tense tie-breaker.
The match held at the Verna panchayat ground, witnessed high-voltage drama before a roaring spectators. The game started with great intensity and UC Verna’s Clive came close to giving his team an early lead in the 6th minute. However, Navelim Sporting’s solid defence thwarted the attempt, setting the tone for a fiercely contested encounter. Despite relentless attacks from both sides, neither team managed to find the back of the net during the regulation time, leaving the scoreline goalless draw.
The tie-breaker proved to be the decider, with UC Verna’s players stepping up the under pressure. Fulgancio, Jayson, Clive, and Roydon converted their penalties with clinical precision. For Navelim Sporting, Noah, Aden and Ronaldo kept their team in the hunt, but they ultimately fell short.
Jayson Fernandes emerged as the “Star of the Match”, presented by Eli Da’Costa, ex-Sesa Goa and Winson Fernandes, former Churchill Brothers players
