PANAJI: Calangute Veterans displayed nerves of steel in a penalty shootout, defeating Bardez Veterans 5-3 after the match ended in a 1-1 draw at the Santa Cruz Village Panchayat Veterans Cup football tournament on Friday.
Bardez Veterans drew first blood in the 10th minute, with Lino Pereira finding the back of the net. They maintained their lead until the 28th minute when Calangute Veterans fought back to level the score, injecting renewed energy into the contest.
The second half saw both sides create opportunities to snatch a winner, but neither could capitalize, ultimately leading to a tense tiebreaker. Calangute proved more clinical from the spot, with Francis, Robert, Marcus, and Caetan all successfully converting their penalties. For Bardez, only Ambrose and Benedict managed to score, sealing a 5-3 shootout victory for Calangute.
