MARGAO: Host Arlem Youth Association (AYA) secured a thrilling 3-2 victory over CAC Cansaulim to book their place in the quarterfinals of the 33rd Arlem Rolling Trophy Inter-Village Football Tournament, played at the Raia Panchayat ground on Wednesday.
Both teams started the match at a blistering pace, and it was CAC Cansaulim who drew first blood in the 7th minute through Agnelo D’Souza, who neatly tapped the ball into the far corner of the net.
Arlem Youth Association responded strongly, finding the equaliser in the 21st minute via Velroy Borges. Just six minutes later, Sweden Barbosa outpaced the defense and slotted home to give AYA a 2-1 lead, which they held onto until halftime.
After the break, Cansaulim applied consistent pressure and were awarded a penalty. However, Agnelo D’Souza's spot-kick was brilliantly saved by the AYA goalkeeper.
In the 40th minute, Roy Colaco extended AYA’s lead to 3-1 with a well-placed strike. Though Rio Rodrigues pulled one back for Cansaulim late in the game, capitalizing on a defensive lapse, AYA held on for a narrow 3-2 win.
Velroy Borges was named Man of the Match for his outstanding performance. The award was presented by Jerome Colaco, President of Arlem Youth Association.
