Egan Fernandes shines with a hattrick as Maharashtra Oranje FC (U23) dominates Millat FC (B)

by Chittu Shetty November 7, 2023

Egan Fernandes struck a sublime hattrick as Maharashtra Oranje FC (U23) put on a remarkable performance to secure a 5-1 victory over Millat FC(B)

The game kicked off with Oranje having the first opportunity to break the deadlock. Sahil Shaikh made a dazzling run down the field and set up Egan Fernandes, whose powerful strike was parried away by the Millat goalkeeper. Millat, on the other hand, had a few free-kick opportunities but was unable to capitalize.

Egan had another glorious chance to give Oranje the lead just before the drinks break. However, his strike narrowly missed the target, leaving the game level.

In a sudden twist of fate, Millat took the lead after a well-orchestrated attack from the right. Uns Akela found the back of the net, putting Millat ahead 1-0.

However, it didn’t take long for Oranje to respond. A blunder by the Millat goalkeeper resulted in a costly mistake. Egan Fernandes pounced on the loose ball and equalized for Oranje, making it 1-1.

Riding on the momentum, Oranje quickly seized the opportunity and took the lead. Egan’s pass from the right edge of the box finds Prateek whose initial shot was saved by the Millat keeper, but Dhrumil was in the right place at the right time to slot home the rebound, putting Oranje ahead 2-1.

Dhrumil then came agonizingly close to extending Oranje’s lead on couple of occasions. The first chance was when his outside-the-boot effort narrowly missed the target. Moments later Pranjal sent a delightful though ball from the left wing, sending Dhrumil one-on-one with the goalkeeper. However, his shot went straight into the keeper’s arms.

The second half commenced with Oranje continuing their offensive tactics. Egan Fernandes created the first significant chance after the break with a powerful left-footed strike from the edge of the box, but the Millat keeper produced a brilliant stretched save to deny him. Minutes before the second-half water break, a long ball was delivered into the box, and Rahul’s first-time effort went over the crossbar.

Egan maintained his remarkable work rate, and as the game reached its climax, he made his mark. He won the ball on the left, drove to the edge of the box, and unleashed a powerful shot into the bottom left corner of the net, extending Oranje’s lead to 3-1.

Rahul Unnithan then orchestrated the fourth goal for Oranje with a brilliant ball over the Millat defense. Egan rounded a defender and slotted the ball past the keeper, completing his hattrick and making the score 4-1.

In injury time, another defensive error by Millat gave Oranje a penalty when Prince Rajesh was brought down in the box. Rahul calmly stepped up and fired the ball into the top right corner, sealing a resounding 5-1 victory for Oranje.

This latest result has propelled Maharashtra Oranje FC to the fifth position in the Group B league table, just two points behind the leaders, Iron Born FC.

For Fixtures and Standing and News on the MFA Super League: Click

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