MARGAO
Sporting Club Davorlim booked their place in the quarterfinals of the Cana Benaulim Panchayat Cup with a dramatic 6“4 victory over Varca Sporting Club in a penalty shootout. The tournament is being hosted by St. Sebastian Union Club at the St. John the Baptist Panchayat Ground, Benaulim.
The match saw Varca dominate the early proceedings, with midfielders Aaron and Elvis dictating the tempo. Despite their control, the first half ended goalless as both teams failed to convert their chances.
The second half sparked into life in the 36th minute when Dylan Lima fired Varca into the lead. However, Davorlim responded swiftly, with Ajay netting the equalizer just minutes later. Varca's goalkeeper Mohammed kept his side in contention with several key saves, but Davorlim managed to go ahead in the 55th minute through Nevil Mascarenhas.
With time running out, Aron Barretto stepped up for Varca and scored a late equalizer, sending the match into a tense tiebreaker. In the shootout, Sporting Club Davorlim held their nerve, converting all their spot-kicks to seal a 6“4 win.
During halftime, players were introduced to Chief Guest Xavier Pereira, Sarpanch of VP Cana Benaulim, along with special invitee Charlie D’Silva and Panch member Manoj Kesarkar.
