MAPUSA: Vasco SC came from a goal down to defeat Churchill Brothers SC by 4-2 margin via tie-breaker to enter the semi-finals of the Goa Police Football Cup organised by Goa Police Sports Cell in association with Goa Football Association at Duler Stadium, here, on Wednesday.
The teams were locked in a 1-1 draw at the end of the regulation time. Trijoy Dias (61st minute) put Churchill Brothers ahead only to find Ashley Fernandes (83rd minute) level terms for Vasco colts.
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Churchill Brothers held better of ball exchanges and attacks at the rival goal in the first quart of the match.
In very 6th minute, Jobern Cardozo moved upfront on the right flank and squared the ball to overlapping Trijoy Dias, who connected the ball out from handshaking distance.
Just two minutes later, this time Churchill Brothers’ Pushkar Prabhu drilled a hot-blooded shot which hit the rival defender for a corner. Red Machine continued on their onslaught to find Trijoy collect a through pass and race upfront from the left flank but saw onrushing Vasco SC custodian Babakumar Ghosh to collect the ball.
Port Towners had just one close attempt at the rival goal in the 26th minute which came from a built up move from skipper Francisco Fernandes, who played the free-kick to Chadel Fernandes whose fierce shot was blocked by Churchill Brothers’ goalkeeper Subhajit Bhattacharjee where the ball rolled to Konthoujam Singh but the latter placed the ball out from close quarters.
In the last quarter of the first session once again Churchill Brothers’ Jobern Cardozo sent a defence splitting pass at the goal only to find Vasco SC’s Sahil Parwar cleared the ball for a corner. On crossing over, after 20 minutes of midfield tussle Port Towners missed a glorious chance to take the lead when Ashley Fernandes sent a deadly cross at the goal area to find Vasco SC’s Denvil Fernandes give a dummy in the 61st minute, only to find overlapping Shankar Shetye shoot skywards.
In a counter attack, Trijoy collected a long ball from the defender and beat the onrushing Vasco SC’s custodian Nabakumar Ghosh with a neat lob to make it1-0. Minutes later, Trijoy almost doubled the lead but it was Vasco SC’s keeper who blocked his strike from a close.
Port Towners exerted tremendous pressure in search of an equaliser wherein the 83rd minute, Francisco’s free-kick was brilliantly headed by Ashley Fernandes to make it 1-1.
Red Machine should have scored in the added time but Vasco SC’s custodian Nabakumar Ghosh brought a superb save fisting Fhezer Gomes 25-yard strike for a corner. With the match ending in a 1-1 draw the penalty shootout was enforced where Vasco SC won by 3-1 margin.
Vasco SC’s custodian Nabakumar Ghosh received the man-of-the-match award from Police Sub-Inspector Jeetendra Sinari.
At Guirim ground, Dempo SC drubbed FC Tuem by 5-0 margin, to enter into the semi-finals.
Asmon Viegas scored a goal in each session of play, while Aryan Paul, Topan Ming, Bhuvnesh Shrendre and Shreyash Naik added their names to the scorers list.
