Team Herald
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RAIA: Santa Cruz Society, Poitomado, cruised past hosts Guirdolim Club to move to the quarter-finals of 18th All Goa Guirdolim Panchayat Cup organised by Guirdolim Club at Chandor Church sports complex ground, on Monday.
The match began with Guirdolim Club setting the tempo by dominating the proceedings and could have surged ahead in the very 4th minute when Alreach shot wide with open sight of the goal. Santa Cruz Society slowly began finding their footing with Daulat and Hagan becoming a constant threat to the Guirdolim Club defence.
Guirdolim Club on the other hand kept probing but the rival defence led Mathew played well under pressure and did not give way.
On a counter attack, Daulat fed Hagan who outsmarted a couple of defenders and coolly placed the ball in the far corner of the goalpost to give Santa Cruz Society the lead in the 20th minute.
For Guirdolim Club, who were creating chances after chances were let down by poor finishing, sometimes missing sitters. Both teams went into the break with Santa Cruz Society leading 1-0.
Change of ends did not change the fortunes for Guirdolim Club as they still kept missing chances a galore. Mathew in Santa Cruz Society defence was rock solid under pressure once again and ensured his team didn’t concede the equaliser. The introduction of Hayden by Guirdolim Club did not change their fortunes either as he too seemed to have left his scoring boots at home.
Daulat of Santa Cruz Society was the culprit in the 50th minute when he delayed taking a shot with an open goal in front of him. Against the run of play Guirdolim Club committed more men into attack with even their goalkeeper playing high up to find the equaliser.
Taking advantage of this, Daulat lobbed the ball into the empty goal from the centre line to hammer the final nail into the Guirdolim Club coffin and give his team a comfortable 2-0 win.
Mathew of Santa Cruz Society for his excellent display in defence was awarded the player-of-the-match by Sudesh Bhise, social worker and treasurer of Guirdolim Club.