MARGAO
UB Ambaulim UB showcased its football prowess with a commanding 7-2 victory over Benfica FC in the GFA Second Division League play-off, at Rosary ground, Navelim, on Friday.
The highlight of the day was a brilliant hat-trick by Alex Fernandes. The game kicked off with Benfica displaying early impatience and a few initial errors but they gradually found their rhythm. The match evolved into a tale of two halves.
During the first half, both teams exhibited strong defensive organisation with occasional tests of each other’s backlines, dominating ball possession throughout the game, while Benfica relied on long balls to initiate their attacks.
Ambaulim broke the deadlock in the 18th minute when Alex Fernandes found the roof of the net. Benfica equalised in the 45'+3 through Muktiar. A minute later, Alex Fernandes regained the lead for Ambaulim.
Crossing over, Ambaulim enjoyed the lion share of exchanges as Alex Fernandes scored his hat-trick in the 57th minute. Regston Fernandes scored a brace in the 62nd and 72nd minutes. Sowel Fernandes and Christovan Cardozo found the 65th and 90+2 minutes respectively. Earlier, Jonathan DCosta pulled one goal back in the 80th minute.
