Albino strike seals final spot for PY Nuvem

NT NETWORK

Raia

A second-half strike from attacking medio Albino Pereira enabled Parish Youth, Nuvem register a solitary goal win against CDJ Ribandar and enter the finals of 48th Custodio Memorial Football Tournament played at panchayat grounds, Raia on Saturday.

Parish Youth, Nuvem will meet Ambelim SC in the finals scheduled on August 5.

Albino Pereira scored the all-important goal in the 58th minute as he — after receiving a defence-splitting pass from the left flank — unleashed a powerful shot that gave no chance at all to CDJ Ribandar goalkeeper Krishnanath Shirodkar, who otherwise had a very good day under the bar.

Both the teams had their chances in either session but good goalkeeping from either side coupled with some fine defending made it difficult for the strikers to find the mark.  

Playing with lot of intent and determination, PY Nuvem galvanised well in all the departments of the game and gave the rivals hardly any chance to maneuver inside their territory in the first session.

A fully charged CDJ Ribandar side however made it amply clear that they meant business as they resorted to quick passing, good positional play and a lot of zeal to find the mark. 

PY Nuvem had an easy chance as early as the 11th minute to go into the lead but the powerful shot taken by Niclau Borges was well collected by the rival keeper Krishnanath.

It was now the turn of CDJ Ribandar to do the attacking as their striker Deeshank Kankonkar raced into the box after hoodwinking two Nuvem defenders, but much to everyone’s dismay the ball brushed the post without entering the nylons.

The match then rose to some dizzy heights as the ball rolled from one end to the other with both the teams displaying a lot of urgency in finding a goal.

Both the teams fought each other tooth and nail and a goal looked imminent at any point of time  – given the fact that the teams displayed excellent fighting spirit and a will to get a goal. But try as they would, the goalkeepers at either end stood
firm.

As the match wore on, PY Nuvem got the match-winner in the 58th minute when Albino Pereira broke free from the shackles of rival defence and scored a gem of a goal that bore the stamp of a class as his strike lodged to the far end of the rival nets.