MARGAO
St Anthony's SC Colva edged out Navelim Sporting Club in a thrilling tie-breaker following a 1-1 stalemate in the Lourdes Festival football tournament at the SAG ground in Utorda on Saturday.
Early nerves seemed to grip both sides, with neither able to find their rhythm in the opening exchanges. However, the third minute saw Navelim's Velinto Almeida narrowly miss a golden opportunity to break the deadlock, sending a nervous tremor through the Colva faithful. Undeterred, Colva pressed forward, and their persistence paid off in the 22nd minute when Danon Vaz coolly slotted the ball past the Colva keeper after skilfully misleading him.
The lead, however, proved short-lived. Minutes after the restart, St Anthony's Kabir rose to the occasion, expertly converting a cross-pass to level the score at 1-1.
The remainder of the match unfolded in a tense tango of attack and counter-attack, neither side able to gain the upper hand. As the clock ticked down, frustration became palpable, but neither team could find the elusive winner.
With the scores level after full-time, the fate of the match rested on a penalty shootout. Colva's Nelson, Kabir, Ronie, Samson, and Jose all held their nerve, sending their penalties past the Navelim keeper. For Navelim, Nash, Doren, Aulon, and Suraji found the net, but their effort ultimately proved in vain, as Colva emerged victorious with a 5-4 scoreline.
