MARGAO: Maina Sports Club got the better of Arlem Youth Association, Raia by 3-2 at the 17th All Goa Guirdolim Panchayat Cup inaugural match played at Chandor Church Sports Complex, on Saturday.
The match started with Arlem Youth Association dominating proceedings but found the Maina defence led by Maldino Rodrigues a hard nut to crack. Arlem's persistent attacking payed dividends in the 27th minute when Achilles Fernandes placed the ball into the goal hoodwinking the Maina keeper. Hardly had the cheers from the goal died down, Arlem's Sheehan Fernandes made it 2-0 in the 28th minute with a thunderous volley from top of the 18 yard box. Both teams went into the break with Arlem leading by 2-0
Changing over, Maina SC were a transformed side with the midfield feeding their forwards with long passed. One such long ball from Caitano Viegas found Anselm Fernandes who made no mistake lobbing the ball over an onrushing Arlem keeper in the 36th minute to reduce the deficit for Maina to 2-1. Anselm Fernandes scored his brace in the 48th minute to bring Maina on parity (2-2) with a powerful strike from distance. In the 57th minute, a goal mouth melee off a corner kick resulted in Joshua Rebello finding the back of the net making it 3-2 in favour of Maina SC.
