MERCES: Ramesh Palkar came up with a gem of a second-half goal as Vasco Veterans cruised past home team SAI Veterans 2-1 to clinch the fifth Pogo Boys 50+ Veterans Cup at the Merces Church ground, on Thursday.
Leading on a fortunate own goal from the otherwise reliable Vikrant Sharma, Vasco Veterans saw themselves on level terms within three minutes of the second half when Stanley Colaco toed in from close.
But, Vasco Veterans came roaring back and nursed back their lead within a minute after a thundering well-struck Ramesh Palkar volley from outside the area, found the far left corner of Sharma’s goal.
Pramod Kamat, Sarpanch of Village Panchayat Merces and chief guest handed over the winner’s trophy and cash prize of Rs 1.2 lakhs to Vasco Veterans in the presence of Girish Uskaikar, Zilla Parishad Member from Chimbel and other dignitaries.
On paper, and otherwise, SAI Veterans looked the menacing side. But, Vasco Veterans did well to catch them on the counter. The Port town team forged ahead in the seventh minute when a high goal-kick slipped through Sharma’s hands and entered the goal.
Struck by this early reversal, SAI Veterans kept on pressuring Vasco and had a good look at the rival goal on at least three occasions. But, Pratap Sawant, Rosario Carvalho (Mithun) and Rafiq Bepari made too much haste as Vasco clung to their narrow cushion at half-time.
SAI Veterans eventually got an equaliser early in the second half when a corner from Edmund Fernandes slipped through the legs of Mithun and Stanley Colaco, who was lurking around, toed into an empty goal.
However, the SAI Veterans joy was short-lived as Palkar received a pullback way outside the area and sent in an awesome volley to score his fourth goal of the competition and restore the lead for Vasco.
SAI Veterans went all out for an equaliser, and came close on a couple of occasions when Sharma made two swift runs – the first time Sawant took too long to shoot and on the second occasion, Mithun failed to control cleanly.
