PANAJI
FC Goa edged out Churchill Brothers 5-4 on penalties after a goalless draw on Sunday to reach the main draw of the Bhausaheb Bandodkar Memorial Trophy.
FC Goa dominated possession throughout the match but were unable to find a breakthrough against a resolute Churchill Brothers defence. The match remained deadlocked at 0-0 after both regular and extra time, forcing a penalty shootout.
FC Goa proved more clinical from the spot, with Brison, Lickson, Zozoa, Vellington and Sitroy all converting their penalties. Churchill Brothers, meanwhile, saw one of their attempts saved, handing FC Goa a narrow victory and a place in the group stage of the tournament. With this result, the final groups for the main draw have been decided.
Main draw: Group A - Cortalim Villagers, Sesa FA, Sporting Clube de Goa, Mumbai City FC; Group B - FC Goa, Dempo SC, Panjim Footballers, Kerala Blasters
Fixtures: May 8: Cortalim Villagers v Sesa FA, Sporting Clube v Mumbai City FC; May 9: FC Goa v Dempo SC, Panjim Footballers v Kerala Blasters; May 10: Cortalim Villagers v Sporting Clube, Sesa FA v Mumbai City FC; May 11: FC Goa vs Panjim Footballers, Dempo SC v Kerala Blasters; May 12: Mumbai City FC vs Cortalim Villagers, Sporting Clube v Sesa FA; May 13: Kerala Blasters v FC Goa, Panjim Footballers v Dempo SC.
