Gokulam Kerala, Sethu FC extend perfect run, Indian Arrows climb to third in IWL

The win against Sirvodem SC gets Gokulam Kerala in a good position to defend the IWL title.

Indian Arrows registered an important 3-1 victory over ARA FC in their Indian Women’s League (IWL) 2022 clash at the Capital Ground in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday, May 17.

The AIFF’s developmental side was in control of the game for the majority of the phases and enjoyed a larger share of attacks in the first half. In the third minute of added time before the break, Muskan Khan gave the young team a lead, thanks to an Apurna Narzary assist.

The Arrows began the second half in a similar fashion and enjoyed more ball possession than their Ahmedabad counterparts. They went on to double the lead in the 75th minute with a goal identical to the previous one. This time, Narzary found the back of the net after a blistering run from the right flank by Parmila.

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ARA FC put in a strong effort to bounce back in the game and even scored one in the 89th minute. ARA FC defender Naketa’s free-kick was spilled into her own net by Indian Arrows goalkeeper Adrija Sarkhel.

However, the young side added a third in the dying seconds to put the game to bed. Naorem Priyangka Devi found acres of space in the final third and carried the ball all the way before slotting it home to ensure three points for the Arrows.

Gokulam Kerala clinical against Sirvodem SC

Gokulam Kerala eased past Sirvodem SC in the Indian Women’s League (IWL) 2022 with a 4-0 win at the 7th Battalion Ground on Tuesday, May 17.

The Malabarians hit the correct note right after kickoff and never looked back. Manisha Kalyan came close to scoring in the 5th minute but her effort from in front of the goal was blocked by Sirvodem goalkeeper Kajal. In the very next minute, Elshaddai Acheampong made it 1-0 for the defending champions as she poked the ball in from the right hand side of the goal.

In the 16th minute, Gokulam Kerala doubled their lead. The Ghanaian striker was once again on target but her shot was blocked by the goalkeeper and the rebound was slotted home by Soumya Guguloth.

Minutes later, Kalyan missed another opportunity to score as her header from close range sailed over the bar. At the half hour mark, Gokulam Kerala made it 3-0 and took complete charge of the game. Skipper Dangmei Grace lobbed a ball from outside the box which landed straight into the top right corner of the goal.

To add a cherry on top, Soumya Guguloth scored her second of the game in the 54th minute and handed crucial three points to Gokulam Kerala. The win keeps the side on top of the table and well in position to defend the IWL title.

Sethu FC thrash SSB Women

Sethu FC recorded a stylish 6-0 win over SSB Women FC in the ongoing Indian Women’s League (IWL) at the Kalinga Stadium on Tuesday, May 17, 2022. The win kept the outfit hot on the heels of Gokulam Kerala FC with both teams on 27 points from nine matches, with the Kerala side taking the top spot by virtue of a greater goal difference.

It did not take long for the first goal to go in. A brilliant solo run from Kioko Elizabeth saw her beat two defenders and score past an isolated goalkeeper in the ninth minute to give Sethu FC an early lead. The second goal followed shortly in the 14th minute. A simple tap in from Sandhiya Ranganathan extended the lead to two and put SSB under immense pressure.

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Despite not enjoying possession of the ball, SSB showed faint flashes of a recovery. They pushed their first goal right after the half-hour water break. However, some brilliant defending from Sethu FC ensured that the attackers could not get on the end of a cross from the left. A few minutes later, Sethu FC tripled the lead through Grace Hauhnar who turned it in from the midst of a melee of legs.

The proceedings went from bad to worse for SSB as the side conceded a fourth goal towards the end of the first half. Renu Rani had an empty net to aim at after the goalkeeper came forward to clear a through ball, but kicked it in her path instead.

As the match progressed, there was less goalmouth action. Dular Marandi of SSB had a golden chance to open her team’s account but she her shot went into the side netting.

At the other end, Anju Tamang found the back of the net with a header from close range, after Karthika thudded her long ranger into the crossbar. Kioko Elizabeth then scored the sixth for Sethu in the 87th minute, as she jinked inside and planted her left-footer into the bottom corner. 

SSB Women FC will play their next IWL fixture against Odisha Police at the Capital Ground on Saturday, May 22, while Sethu FC will aim for three points against Hans Women FC at the same venue on Sunday.