Jalgaon slip as Mumbai take full-advantage to beat them 4-1 to enter the final

by Balbir Singh December 22, 2015

On the 22^nd of December 2015, Mumbai District Football Association (M.D.F.A) featured against Jalgaon District Football Association (J.D.F.A) in the first semifinal of the Maharashtra Inter-District Football Championship under-17 Boys at Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex. Mumbai District Football Association booked their place in this year’s final with an emphatic 4-1 win over Jalgaon District Football Association; dominating the game throughout the 80-minutes. Keval Pakdhare opened the scoring for M.D.F.A before, Anees Pathan’s 57^th minute strike and two goals from Arfat Ansari wrapped-up the victory. Things could have been otherwise had J.D.F.A’s no.6 Arbaz Khan had not missed a penalty in the 2^nd-minute of the match.

The game kicked-off with neither side looking to hand-in the advantage to the other team, but after an early stumble from the penalty-spot for Jalgaon District Football Association’s Arba Khan, tipped the momentum into the hands of M.D.F.A, who never looked back from that moment and hammered a J.D.F.A side who never grew-up from the early shock.

Keval Pakdhare opened the goal-scoring charts, giving M.D.F.A the lead just 7 minutes after the penalty miss. Mumbai dominated the first-half with relentless attacking pressure on Jalgaon, but J.D.F.A held strong; only marginally, though. Jalgaon tripped, again; this time, just before the referee would blow the half-time whistle, Arfat Ansari, who has been in top-form this season doubled Mumbai’s lead right before the end on the 39^th-minute mark.

At the start of the second-half, Jalgaon felt like they found a glimmer of hope, when no.11 Rehan Ansari pulled a goal back for Jalgaon District Football Association in the 46^th minute, but it will only prove to be a mere consolation goal in the end.  Mumbai for most parts for the rest of the match tried to restore their two-goal lead, while Jalgaon fancied the chances of their own, which never really troubled the Mumbai goal.

Mumbai struck in the 80^th and 82^nd minute to complete a resounding victory as they look ahead for the final chapter in this season’s tournament. Anees Pathan scored on 80^th minute, restoring the 2-goal cushion and in the process scoring the best goal of the match. Arfat Ansari grabbed his brace 2 minutes later after a clinical finish.

Altogether, a fine game of football came to end in favor of a team who played better football as the created better chances and converted them with equal authenticity. The story could’ve been a happy one for Jalgaon if, and only if they had scored the penalty, but football is a game where wins matters more than anything else, no matter how it arrives at your doorstep.