Rajmata Jijabai Trophy Final Round: Tamil Nadu, Railways, and Delhi emerged winners on the second matchday of the 28th Senior Women’s National Football Championship for Rajmata Jijabai Trophy Final Round Group A, defeating Bengal, Punjab, and Chandigarh, respectively, in Kolkata, on Friday. With these results, Tamil Nadu and Railways move to the top of Group A, both having garnered six points apiece. The former are ahead on goal difference.Tamil Nadu tame Bengal:
Defending champions Tamil Nadu completed a dominant win over hosts Bengal at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan, registering a 4-0 win to jump to the top of Group A.
Tamil Nadu had a good start to the match, as Sandhiya P (14’) and Priyadharshini S (19’) scored two early goals to put them in a comfortable position.
Priyadharshini turned provider in the 79th minute, when she found Sandhiya Ranganathan with a delicately threaded ball between the Bengal lines, as the latter glided her shot past the keeper, and into the bottom corner.
Iswarya made it four in injury time, when she controlled a weak Bengal clearance at the edge of the box, skipped past a tackle, and lobbed it into the top far corner. Bengal goalkeeper Manju nowhere to be seen, defender Saraswati Murmu made a flailing lunge on the goalline, her arms outstretched above her head to stop the ball. However, Iswarya’s shot was too well-placed.
Murmu’s action, though in vain, earned her the second booking of the match as she walked off seconds before the final whistle.
Kamala Devi brace wins it for Railways:
Railways came back from a goal down to defeat Punjab 3-1 at the AIFF National Centre of Excellence Ground in Kolkata, to move to second in the Group A table.
Nisha (2’) netted an early goal for Punjab, that set the tempo of the game for the first half. Punjab kept last season’s semi-finalists at bay for a little over half an hour, before the comeback began.
Naobi Chanu Laishram brought Railways back into level terms in the 37th minute, when she scored off a cross by Sanju, as the two teams trudged off with the scores reading 1-1 at the break.
Railways’ experienced midfielder Kamala Devi came into her own in the second half, when she secured the victory for her side. She put her side in the lead in the 76th minute, receiving a pass from Kunti Kumari Lakra, before she side-stepped her marker at the edge of the box and curled a left-footer into the bottom corner.
Kamala put the result beyond all doubts in injury time when Mamta sprinted up the right flank and cut it back for the former, who tapped it in.
Delhi edge past Chandigarh:
Delhi scraped past Chandigarh to register their first victory of the Final Round, winning 1-0 at the AIFF NCE.
With the score tied at 0-0 at half-time, Delhi came out of the blocks quickly, and some smart play on the wing by Raziya Khan resulted in her sending a dangerous low ball across the face of the goal. While it evaded both friend and foe, Jyoti’s patient wait at the far post paid off, as she received the ball and placed it home.
Delhi now stand fourth in the group with three points.
