MARGAO: Uguem Rising Club triumphed 4-1 over a spirited St. Rock Y.C. Majorda to secure their place in the semi-finals of the Cavelossim Panchayat Cup Inter-Village Football Tournament. The match, organized by Santa Cruz Club of Cavelossim, was played at Fr. Druston and Wellington Ground, Cavelossim.
Despite playing a more defensive game, Uguem Rising Club capitalized on key opportunities. Majorda’s players, Myron Pereira and Wendell Coelho, came close to taking the lead but were unlucky, with their shots narrowly missing the target. Uguem broke the deadlock when a free kick taken by Jester Carvalho from outside the box was deflected by Rutik Bandodkar into the left corner, leaving Majorda goalkeeper Freddy stranded.
In the second half, Uguem doubled their lead when Youhan Dias rose high to meet a cross from Israel Gomes and scored a brilliant header. Majorda responded with a goal of their own, as Asley Rodrigues netted from a pass by Oscar Braganza to reduce the deficit to 2-1.
Uguem restored their two-goal advantage when goalkeeper Tejas Madval launched a long kick into the Majorda half, which was cleverly tapped in by the hungry Rutik Bandodkar, beating keeper Freddy Fernandes to make it 3-1. Any hopes of a Majorda comeback were extinguished when Bandodkar completed his hat-trick with a corner kick that deflected past a crowd of defenders and into the net, securing a 4-1 victory for Uguem.
Rutik Bandodkar was awarded the Man of the Match title for his outstanding performance, with the award presented by Joaquim (Dicky) Mendes, Seafarer and Club Founder Life Member.
