MARGAO
Wilred Leisure stormed into the semifinals of the 18th All Goa Guirdolim Panchayat Cup after a thrilling 6-5 victory over Arlem Youth Association, Raia, in a penalty shootout following a goalless draw in regulation time, at the Chandor Church Sports Complex.
The match, which marked the first quarterfinal of the competition, began with Wilred Leisure taking control. Veteran Milagres was a constant threat, putting pressure on the Arlem defense from the outset. However, Arlem quickly found their rhythm and responded with some dangerous attacks.
Wilred almost took the lead in the 14th minute when Rhay’s header from a corner kick narrowly missed the target. On the counter, Arlem's Sanjiro set up Velroy, whose shot with the outside of his foot was well-saved by Bogot. Then, in the 25th minute, Velroy delivered a dangerous cross into the six-yard box, but Sanjiro missed a golden opportunity to tap in, with the Wilred keeper already beaten. Both teams went into the halftime break deadlocked at 0-0.
The second half saw both sides continue to press for a goal. Wilred’s Mackson tried his luck from distance in the 39th minute, forcing a diving save from the Arlem goalkeeper. At the other end, Arlem's Sweden tested Bogot with a low shot in the 42nd minute, but the Wilred keeper was equal to the task. Wilred continued to shoot from range, but Arlem's defense stood firm. Arlem, on the other hand, looked to exploit counter-attacks, but the Wilred backline held strong, and the match remained goalless after 90 minutes.
With no goals scored in regulation time, the match proceeded to a penalty shootout to determine the winner. Wilred Leisure proved to be the more accurate side, converting 6 of their 7 penalties. Arlem could only manage 5 successful kicks, with Johnson Bogot saving two penalty attempts to secure the win for Wilred.
For his outstanding performance, particularly his penalty saves, Johnson Bogot was named Player of the Match by Sandeep Kalekar, President of the Chandor Seamen Association.
