MARGAO: Curtorim Gymkhana secured a spot in the finals of the Simon Barreto Memorial Inter-Village Football Tournament, defeating host Maina Sports Club 1-0 in the semifinal at DYSA Ground, Curtorim.
Both teams played an attacking brand of football, with equal chances to score. Maina's Jovial Martins provided a through pass to Joywin Carneiro, who beat the defense and shot, but Curtorim goalkeeper Jhonson made a crucial punch to clear the ball for a corner. From the resulting corner, Milagres delivered a cross that was cleared by Maina’s goalkeeper, but the ball found an unmarked Mario Mascarenhas. Mascarenhas controlled the ball and, from 30 yards out, fired a shot that beat Maina's goalkeeper Prakash and found the back of the net just before halftime.
In the second half, both teams had opportunities to score, but Maina failed to find the equalizer. Curtorim's defense stood firm, denying Maina any further chances. The score remained 1-0, and that solitary goal proved to be the match-winner.
Maina’s goalkeeper, Prakash Jhosi, was named Man of the Match for his standout performance despite the loss.
