Kickstart, Indian Arrows register convincing wins in IWL

Odisha Police edged past Sirvodem FC in a closely fought encounter.

Kickstart maintain their winning momentum after defeating SSB Women FC 0-1 on Friday, May 6, 2022, in the Hero Indian Women’s League (IWL) at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.

A Prameshwori Irom strike in the 34th minute was enough for Kickstart FC, as they remained third on the Hero IWL table.

The game started with end-to-end football, as both sides kept creating chances. But as the match progressed Kickstart turned out to be the more offensive side. 

Kickstart created wave after wave of attacks but were yet to break the deadlock till the half an hour mark. The SSB side showed a great defensive character doing well to keep their opponents at bay.

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Finally, in the 34th minute, Kickstart broke the deadlock. Babysana Devi sent in a cross that was equally contested by both Prameshwori and SSB goalkeeper Manju. While both slid in towards the ball, Prameshowri managed to get to it a fraction of a second earlier and slipped it under the SSB keeper, to put her side in the lead.

After the breather, Sandhya Kashyap came up with some good chances for SSB but failed to find the net.

The side from West Bengal looked determined and mounted a number of attacks in the second half, in their search for an equaliser. However, some brilliant goalkeeping from Linthoingambi Devi and some last-ditch tackles from Hero of the Match Sweety Devi kept SSB out.

After this second consecutive loss, SSB remain 6th on the Hero IWL table, whereas Kickstart maintain their position on third with 15 points from 6 matches.

Odisha Police emerge victorious in a game of equals

Odisha Police edged Sirvodem SC 2-1 in their Hero IWL 2022 clash at the Capital Ground in Bhubaneswar on Friday, May 6.

Sarojini Tirkey gave the local side the lead in the 18th minute. The No. 9 leaned forward to take a shot from an awkward position but found the back of the net wonderfully to make it 1-0. Despite the scoreline suggesting otherwise, the two sides were evenly matched until the halftime break.

Odisha Police had a slight advantage in terms of ball possession but they had a solitary shot on target, equal to their counterparts in the first 45 minutes.

In the 75th minute, the local side made it 2-0 as substitute Sasmita Ekka set Shibani Mundari up inside the box. The No. 2 made no mistake in converting from close range and strengthening her side’s hold of the game.

Defender Femina Raj Valappil made a case for Sirvodem in the 85th minute by pulling one back. However, it was too late for the Goan side to earn anything from the game and Odisha Police ended up taking all the three points.

Indian Arrows beat Hans Women FC

Indian Arrows picked up a convincing 2-0 win over Hans Women FC in their Hero IWL 2022 tie at the 7th Battalion Ground in Bhubaneswar on May 6, 2022.

The AIFF’s developmental side took an early lead through Apurna Narzary in the 10th minute. The midfielder picked up a loose ball in the middle and struck well from inside the box to make it 1-0. The No. 12 had another chance to score her second of the game in the 17th minute, but her attempt grazed over the crossbar.

The young side looked all determined to take home the three points with their calm demeanour and composure in midfield. Eventually, in the 23rd minute, Anjana Thapa set Narzary up after taking control of a loose ball. Narzary, in turn, passed it to Naorem Priyangka Devi. The skipper put the ball past the goalkeeper to make it 2-0 for the Indian Arrows.

The two sides shared an equal number of opportunities in the first half but it was the AIFF’s developmental side that seemed more clinical in front of the goal. Hans Women goalkeeper Namrata Kaur had a busy day in particular but managed to keep her lines clear in the second half.

Eventually, the Arrows held on to their lead and snapped up a jubilant victory. The win keeps them in the top half of the Hero IWL table.

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