MARGAO
Haryana eves swept aside Goa 5-1 in the Junior Nationals Football Championship at RDT Stadium, Andhra Pradesh, on Tuesday.
Haryana broke the deadlock in the 30th minute with Vipanshi finding the net. They doubled their lead in the 45+3rd minute, again thanks to Vipanshi, ending the first half 2-0.
The second half saw a flurry of goals. Sapna extended Haryana’s lead in the 52nd minute. Pearl Fernandes scored a consolation goal for Goa in the 75th minute. However, Simran put the result beyond doubt in the 81st minute, and Vipanshi struck a third time to complete her hat-trick. Goa virtually crashed out of the championship.
“We lost today’s match against Haryana by a score of 5-1. Our girls performed well throughout the game, but defensive errors cost us the match. We missed a couple of good opportunities that came our way. Haryana’s girls showed more maturity in football compared to our team,” said Jonathan Faleiro, head coach of Goa.
“To improve football maturity, we should start our preparation program for the tournament at least 8 to 10 months before the competition day, so our players are well-prepared to face any challenges,” he said.
