Goemkapronn desk
MARGAO: Don Bosco Oratory Fatorda defeated St Anthony’s SC of Assolda by 1/0 goal to move into the quarterfinals of the 13th Cana Benaulim Panchayat Cup inter-village football tournament played at St John De Baptista ground.
Assolda started on the fast pace and could have gone ahead but DBO goalkeeper Karol Soares made two brilliant saves in quick succession to deny Sunny Fernandes and Richard Fernandes. Assolda were in dominancy with Moises D’Sa funding his strikers with accurate passing and Fatorda had to defend well with Alfred Noronha outstanding in his anticipation.
Assolda midfielder Valentino Carvalho missed an easy chance of taking the lead at the start of the match. Later DBO made sporadic moves but strikers Hanslum Furtado and Clencio Pinto were effectively bottled by Assolda’s defense of Joaquim Carvalho and Elton Vaz.
Against the run of play, DBO surged ahead in the 62nd minute when substitute veteran striker Francis Andrade got a loose clearance on the edge of the box to strike a left-footer grounder that past rival goalkeeper Prestly Mascarenhas to stun the large crowd.
Assolda mounted the pressure but it was not their day when striker Sunny Fernandes’s excellent lob struck the crosspiece and went out with DBO keeper Karol Soares stranded on the ground. Assolda missed another chance three minutes before the close when defender Elton Vaz’s header went inches wide off Moises D’Sa’s corner. Assolda’s Sunny Fernandes was adjudged as Man of the Match.
