Parish Youth Nuvem blessed as champs triumphing a nail-biter

Majorda: Parish Youth, Nuvem emerged the winners of the 19th Fr Basilio Andrade Memorial football tournament organised by AA de Majorda, defeating Betalbatim Sporting Club 6-5 via the tie breaker in a pulsating finals of this tournament played at Musson grounds, Majorda on Sunday. The teams played out a 1-1 draw during the regulation time.

Playing an attacking game right from the start that warmed the cockles of the hearts of the large number of spectators that thronged to the stadium, both teams vied for supremacy with Parish Youth, Nuvem going into the lead in the very 5th minute.

It was a nice build up initiated by Shubert Colaso who saw the ball moving inside the Betalbatim box where followed a goalmouth melee and in this skirmish, the ball came in possession of attacking medio John Barretto who lost no time in slaming it in past the bewildered Betalbatim Sporting keeper Milton D’Souza.

The match then began to be played on level terms, with Betalbatim Sporitng trying hard to create a dent in the rival’s defence with some probing moves.

Their hard efforts paid off following a flag kick which was cleanly floated across the rival goalmouth to Clifford Miranda who brilliantly headed it in to crash the ball to the far end of Parish Youth, Nuvem nets.

The teams then created several goal bound moves, with the ball rolling from one end to the other. Both the teams had some clear chances but goalkeepers on either side proved to be a good pair of hands.

Betalbatim exerted tremendous pressure over Parish Youth, Nuvem in thelast fifteen minutes of play wherein Clifford Miranda, Oliver D’Souza and Manushawn Fernandes gave a good account of themselves by moving in tandem with each other, but the Parish Youth Nuvem keeper proved to be a hard nut to crack.

As the teams were involved in a dead-lock, the tie breaker had to be adopted in which Parish Youth Nuvem proved to be the better shooters, scoring accurately through Richard Colaso, Shubert Colaso, Sanford Colaso, Cedar Colaso and Stephen Colaso.

Betalbatim Sporting could find the mark only through Klusner Pereira, Oliver D’Souza, Clifford Miranda and Dylon Rodrigues.

Chief guest Alexio Reginaldo Lourenco, MLA pf Curtorim constituency gave away the prizes in the presence of guest of honour Wilfred D’Sa, MLA, Nuvem constituency, Nelly Rodrigues, ZP member, Agnelo Alcasoas, ex GFA secretary and ex sarpanch of Velsao-Pale panchayat, Agnelo Pereira, Majorda sarpanch, Cresson Antao, ex-Dempo player and member of Village Panchayat, Majorda among various other personalities.

The following won the individual prizes: Best goalkeeper of the finals – Lawrence Dias (Parish Youth, Nuvem), Best forward of the finals – Dylan Rodrigues (Betalbatim Sporting Club), Best defender of the finals – Manushawn Fernandes (Betalbatim Sporting), Best midfielder of the finals – Stephen Colaso (Parish Youth, Nuvem) and first scorer of the finals – John Barretto (Parish Youth, Nuvem).

The winners, Parish Youth, Nuvem, besides taking away the winner’s trophy also received an amount of Rs 40,000 while the runners up, Betalbatim Sporting Club were awarded with cash amount of Rs 30,000 and the runners up trophy.