MARGAO
Margao Sports Club edged past a luckless Navelim Sporting Club 5-4 in the tiebreaker to move into the finals of the V M Salgaocar Memorial Invitational inter-village football tournament organised by Prime SC at St John Baptist ground, Dando, Benaulim on Thursday.
The winners survived several anxious moments in regulation time before dumping out the title favourites in a tantalising penalty shootout.
Navelim were the much better side but their strikers were awful throughout the match. They should have taken the lead in the 15th minute when striker Prestly Gomes held off the challenge of Margao stopper Alfred Noronha to slide the ball into the path of Mark Gomes inside the box but the striker lacked composure and ballooned his shot over the crosspiece with only the rival goalkeeper Selvino Noronha at his mercy.
Navelim were also undone by some casual play in the midfield by Dunstan Fernandes, who was erratic in passing. Navelim, enjoying the upper hand, wasted another opportunity when winger Velington Almeida, put through by Navin Pereira, ran out of ideas after entering the box.
For Margao, the best chance came in the 25th minute but veteran Francis Andrade's freekick from top of the box went way off the mark. Margao goalkeeper Selvino brought off a superb diving save to push out a Prestly Gomes left-footer headed for the far corner of the net.
After resumption, Navelim were reluctant to press forward despite having more ball possession. Margao were content in defending their citadel with the back four of Velton Colaco, Roque Borges, Alfred Noronha and Joel Camara hardly crossing the half line. Navelim got another chance in the dying moments of the tie but Dunstan Fernandes, after weaving his way past his markers, got into the box only to sky the ball over the target.
In the tiebreaker Margao were successful through Francis Andrade, Roque Borges, Cliff Baretto, Michael Dias and Bradley Faernandes while Alfred Noronha's effort was saved. For Navelim, Velington Silva, Navin Pereira, Prestly Gomesand Mallapa Bizargi made no mistakes but Dunstan Fernandes shot over and Mark Gomes' penalty was blocked by Margao goalkeeper Selvino to take his team through to Sunday's finals.
Earlier, special guest Dixon Vaz, the sarpanch of Cavelossim, was introduced to the teams by Solon Furtado.
