22nd Wellingdon Inter-Parish Tournament            St. Pauls, Dadar v Our Lady of Gloria, Byculla  Match Report by Shailesh Karkera Photos by Kamlesh Kotenkar Willingdon Inter-Parish Reference Guide  Knock-out Pool Structure | Fixtures     Nixon Rodrigues made amends for a nervy performance for St. Paul’s, Dadar in the best way possible – by scoring a scorching winner in his team’s 1-0 victory against Our Lady of Gloria, Byculla. In what was an extremely fast-paced game which could have gone either way, both teams created good goal-scoring opportunities although were unable to convert with their final attempts on goal – until the late winner. Early exchanges Our Lady of Gloria, Byculla were the first to make an impression on the game – Lanky striker Shannon showed some great flair to get past two defenders inside the striking zone as early as the first minute but a crucial tackle by St. Paul’s keeper Xavier saved the day for the Parel outfit. At the other end, midfielder Malcolm Blakely shot forced a reflexive goal-line block by the Gloria keeper. St. Paul’s were missing out on the services of key striker Francisco Salian, away on tour with Mumbai United, as the boys found it increasingly difficult to keep their efforts on target as the half wore on. Close! Quit possibly the best opportunity of the first half went the Byculla team’s way from what was an unorthodox attempt to say the least. A low, hard shot by Everest into the crowded striking zone was re-directed goal wards by Shannon by the slightest of flicks – only for the keeper to pull off another good save. The game was being played at a frantic pace, with both teams using their counter-attacking capabilities to full effect.  In a period of intense pressure by St. Paul’s, four different players found themselves in scoring positions however their final attempt went well wide of the mark. Magic! With the minutes ticking down and a penalty-shootout seemingly on the cards, St. Paul’s took the lead from the unlikeliest of sources. Defender Nixon Rodrigues, finding time and space at his disposal, curled a beautiful strike into the top corner of the net. Goal! 1-0 to St. Paul’s. The goal could not have come at a better time for the defender who had been a bundle of nerves through most of the first half and was trying hard to get back into the game after some costly errors in the first half. One last attempt Byculla made one final surge into the St. Paul’s box in the vain hope of finding an equalizer as the game went into its final minute however like most of their previous attempts – the final strike went well wide of the crossbar. As the referee signaled for fulltime, St. Paul’s, Dadar were through to the pre-quarter finals of the Willingdon Inter-Parish tournament. With the competition heating up, the team will be hoping for more inspiring moments of brilliance like Nixon’s to shape their fortunes.