MARGAO: Rossman Cruz SC, Nagoa-Verna entered the finals of Mae Dos Pobres  soccer tournament when they registered a solitary goal victory against St Anthony’s SC, Marna-Siolim in an exciting semi-finals played at Nuvem church grounds, Thursday.

There was no score in the first half, despite clear domination by the Siolim lads.
If Rossman served a barrage of attacks in the first half without falling into arrears it was thanks to their goalkeeper Cleto Fernandes who brought off spectacular saves and to a great extent due to stout defending by their stopper back Bijal Rego.
Bijal Rego played a great role for the Verna lads in both the sessions of play as he on many occasions defended his citadel and then also moved forward to step up pressure against the rivals.
Siolim team had a couple of chances in both the sessions of play which saw Rubnen and Rayan D’Souza moving in tandem along with Romeu but all their tries were brought to naught by the Rossman goalkeeper Cleto Fernandes.
The first half saw the Nagao-Verna lads on the defensive all the time but somehow they survived some anxious moments only to be very lucky in the second half to score a goal when this session was hardly seven minutes old.
A harmless throw-in taken by Rossman’s Richard Dias towards the rival goal was punched away by Siolim goalkeeper Mandrekar  in an attempt to keep the ball to safety but to his chagrin the ball entered the nets,giving the Nagoa-Verna lads much relief and in the end the victory as this goal turned out to be the winning goal that took them into the finals.
In the final ten minutes, Rossman’s Francis Calado tried two long range shots in an attempt to increase the margin of victory but the tries were way off the mark.
Rossman Cruz now await the winners of Sao Jose de Areal and Navelim Villagers Union. NT