South Asian Games 2019: India put six past Sri Lanka

Dangmei Grace, Sandhiya R, Ratanbala Devi and Bala Devi scored the goals for the Indian side.

The Indian Women’s Football Team completed yet another dominant display at the 13th South Asian Games 2019, as they trounced Sri Lanka by a massive margin of 6-0 at the Pokhara Stadium in Pokhara, Nepal on Thursday (December 5, 2019).

Sandhiya Ranganathan scored a first-half brace, while Ratanbala Devi scored one in each half, while Dangmei Grace and Bala Devi scored one each to make it a 6-0 victory for the Indians.

India had a go at Sri Lanka from the start in the South Asian Games 2019 match, and the results came as soon as the seventh minute when a Ranjana Chanu cross was met by Dangmei Grace, who opened the scoring. The lead was soon doubled by Sandhiya after she was played in by Ratanbala.

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A little after the quarter-hour mark, Sandhiya returned the favour, as she set up Ratanbala as India took a three-goal lead. As we approached the half-hour mark, Ratanbala had a go at goal but was denied by the woodwork. However, Grace got on to the rebound, affecting an intricate interplay between herself and Bala, before Sandhiya finished it off.

Since then, the Indian girls controlled the pace of the game, as they slowed things down and passed the ball around the park before the breather. They came out with the same vigour in the second half, and dominated their opponents, prodding and probing at the Sri Lanka defensive third.

Head Coach Maymol Rocky made a couple of changes around the hour mark, bringing on Daya Devi and Manisha in place of Sandhiya and Ranjana.

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It was in the dying embers of the game when the Indians added two more. With two minutes of regulation time left, substitute Manisha set Ratanbala through, as the latter went on to complete her brace. W Linthoingambi, who was brought on in the last 10 minutes, turned provider in added time when she sent in an inch-perfect cross for Bala Devi to score the sixth goal.

India Starting XI: Aditi Chauhan (GK); Jabamani Tudu, Sweety Devi, Ashalata Devi (C), Roja Devi (W Linthoingambi 83’); Sangita Basfore, Ratanbala Devi; Sandhiya R (Daya Devi 58'), Dangmei Grace, Ranjana Chanu (Manisha 68'); Bala Devi.