MARGAO
Both teams having lost their initial games in the first round, began with an attacking outlook with Flaming Oranje creating the first chance in the third minute of the game through Stessi Cardozo. Somaya Mukundar of Cuncolim Warriors looked strong in the front for the Warriors as her powerful shot went straight to the keeper. Stessi Cardozo's long ranger from the edge of the box went straight into the nets in the sixth minute giving the Flaming Oranje an early 1-0 lead.
On the counter attack, Somaya ran into the box of a defensive lapse from the Flaming Oranje but found her shot right to the goalkeeper. In the 17th minute, Malvita Mascarenhas of Cuncolim Warriors had a great chance to equalise but found her shot off a freekick straight on target into the keepers hands.
Chances kept dropping in for the Cuncolim team as left winger Vailanka D'Souza looked dangerous with support from Somaya Mukundar and Anushka Viegas in the box. Stessi Cardozo should have added another from the edge of the box in the added-on time of the fist session but her shot was well above the target.
Being one goal down, Cuncolim Warriors came out stronger in the second half and created a lot of chances. First came through from Sharon Fernandes who had a brilliant run into the box from the right side but failed to connect her cross. Malvita Fernandes's strong freekick in the 43rd minute went straight on to the target but the Flaming Oranje keeper Ashika Gadekar
saved it.
A good piece of passing between Somaya, Anushka and Vilma of Cuncolim Warriors in the 47th minute should have brought parity in the scoreline but Anushka placed her shot off target. The second session saw the Warriors put pressure on to the Flaming defence as Sharon Fernandes eased past two defenders and curled it to Anushka whose shot failed to find the back 0f the nets.
A five-star performance from Flaming keeper Ashika Gadekar earned her the woman of the match award. Flaming Oranje held onto their narrow lead to take home all the points though it was Cuncolim Warriors who produced the more attacking football.
