MARGAO: Goa registered an impressive 4-0 victory over Mizoram in their last quarter-final league match of the National Football Championship for Girl’s U-18, at Rosary Sports Complex, Navelim, on Saturday.
Sushmita Jadhav was the star of the match for Goa by scoring a fine hat-trick including an individual solo effort in the 79th minute where she dribbled past two Mizoram defenders and deftly placed the ball in the back of the net.
Goa started off well and were raring for a fine finish to the tournament having suffered two narrow losses in their first two quarter-final encounters.
Skipper Velanie Fernandes opened the scoring for Goa with a good long range effort in the 24th minute while Sushmita scored in the very next minute as Mizoram were shell shocked.
Goa were in complete control of the match and Sushmita secured her brace in the 36th minute. Coming out of the half way break, Mizoram pressed hard to find a goal to make it an interesting contest but Cynthia Diana Lobo, Scindia Veganano Saundatikar and Genieve Jacklin Fernandes stood rock solid in the backline for Goa and thwarted all attacks made by Mizoram forwards.
Marlat Cardozo worked tirelessly for Goa driving the team forward. Velanie also made numerous long range efforts at goal, some of which were really close misses. The campaign ended for Goa with three wins and two losses in the tournament. The Goa team being a development team with lot of youngsters in the age group of 15-17 have a very bright future.
In another match, at Raia Panchayat ground, Raia, Odisha scored a hard fought 1-0 victory over Delhi to top Group II.
Delhi and Odisha, were the unbeaten teams in Group II. The match was inconsequential as both had qualified to the semi-finals.
Odisha skipper Anima Malik put her side ahead with a curling free-kick from just outside the box that got the better of Delhi goalkeeper Ketaki Tyagi in the eighth minute.
