Candid floors Dadar

MUMBAI, November 8: Candid's fourth minute goal ended Dadar XI B's deadly run as they lost 0-1 to Chennai Customs in a quarter-final Mini Ro...

MUMBAI, November 8: Candid8217;s fourth minute goal ended Dadar XI B8217;s deadly run as they lost 0-1 to Chennai Customs in a quarter-final Mini Rovers Cup football match at the Cooperage today.

The visitors entered semi-finals along with Income-Tax who got a walk over Peerless, Calcutta as the latter failed to turn up.

Candid, a former Mahindras player, positioned himself well to connect Ravi8217;s low cross from right flank. And the header went through the Dadar XI goalkeeper, Nilesh Chavan hands.

The first attack from the visitors fetched them goal and sealed their path for semifinal.

Dadar XI were unlucky as they could have scored atleast three goals just after conceding a goal.

Striker Simon Pascal D8217;Souza was guilty of muffling up two easy chances. In the 10th minute, medio Francis Fernandes snatched a ball from Ravichandran, the Chennai defender and sent a perfect cross from the left flank over the defence for an onrushing D8217;Souza. But the latter could only hit it wide of the target from closerange.

Three minutes later, the best shot of the game came from Dadar8217;s medio Fernandes. He unleashed an on-the-run, 30-yard shot from right wing which kissed the bar and went over.

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As Dadar were in control of the match, they made another goal-threatening move in 18th minute. D8217;Souza was again the culprit. Star of the last two matches, Sylvester Dickson went through the defence only to find D8217;Souza on the goal-mouth.

But the latter held the ball for too long before the opponents goalkeeper Anil Kumar thwarted the move. The Dadar striker wasted another chance for his team to obtain parity.

Thereafter, the Chennai8217;s Super Division League runners-up, managed to play an attacking play.

At the breather, Chennai Customs were leading with the solitary goal. But Customs team failed to impress in the second-half. Dadar also could not plan their attacks as the mid-fielder8217;s Custodio Fernandes, Dickson and Vincent D8217;Souza were off colour. Santosh Adhikari replaced Vincent in the second-half and did nothing ofgood.

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While the opponents substituted a player during half-time, Chennai based team brought three changes in the form of Chandrasekhar for Gokulchandran, Kumar Ravi, and Raja Rajaram to accelerate their attack.

In the last quarter of the match, both teams went for some rough tackling and foul play. But referee Manuel Pereira didn8217;t let the situation go out of control as he punished three Dadar players with yellow cards and continuously warned the players from both teams.

Viegas nets brace

Wall Boys Antop Hill beat Bombay Republican by 2-1 in the MD Shetty Division III final organised bt MDFA at St Xavier8217;s Ground, Parel today.Wall Boys went into the lead in the 6th minute when Sharad Shah centred the ball from the right which was neatly headed by Neil Viegas into the net.Viegas was back in action when he increased the margin in the 22nd minute off a pass by Nishith Mehta.

Republicans reduced the margin in the last minute off Aston D8217;Souza.