Samrudhi Katkole stars with hat-trick as Maharashtra beat Himachal Pradesh 6-0 in Senior Womens NFC

by Chittu Shetty November 27, 2023

A hattrick from Samrudhi Katkole and a brace from Aishwarya Jagtap help Maharashtra continue its winning form with a resounding 6-0 triumph over Himachal Pradesh in the ongoing Senior Women’s National Football Championship.

The morning fixture of Group F, played at the SAI Ground in Himachal Pradesh, witnessed some stellar performances from Maharashtra players on their way to a hat-trick of wins in the competition.

From the outset, both teams engaged in an intense battle, creating couple of good chances and testing each other’s defensive mettle. Around the 10th minute, Samrudhi Katkole came close to scoring, when a deflected ball off the keeper fell for her. However, the Maharashtra striker couldn’t keep her shot low enough as the ball sailed just over the bar.

Himachal Pradesh, determined to make an impact, earned a free-kick just outside the box. Anju’s effort seemed promising, but Maharashtra goalkeeper Payal exhibited complete control of situation making a crucial save and thwart the opponents.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 34th minute when Aishwarya Jagtap showcased an individual brilliance making a solo run, twisting and turning to evade the two defenders in front of her before confidently placing the ball past the onrushing keeper to make it 1-0. Both the teams entered the break at 1-0 scoreline with Maharashtra taking the lead.

The second half witnessed Maharashtra coming out in full force. The very first minute post the break saw, Aishwarya Jagtap capitalize on a defensive error to latch on to the loose ball and doubling the lead with a precise shot into the net.

Samrudhi Katkole then made her mark in the 55th minute with a clinical finish from the left of the box, converting a brilliant low cross to extend Maharashtra’s lead to 3-0. The goal spree continued as around the hour mark, skipper Aishwarya Bonde’s through ball found Samrudhi in the middle of the box, and she calmly slotted it past the keeper for her second goal.

In the 68th minute, Samrudhi completed her hat-trick with style, executing a composed chip over the oncoming goalkeeper after a swift counter-attacking move.

The final goal of the match came in the 79th minute, defenders Prerna Meshram combined well with Rani Kadam, to send Nishka through on the left side. Nishka delivered a cross to the far post where an onrushing Pranita Nimkar, slotted home the sixth goal of the game.

With this dominant win, Maharashtra completes an hat-trick of wins with unblemished record as they are yet to concede a goal. The team’s focus now shifts to the final group clash another unbeaten side – Railways. The match will be played on November 29th, promising an exciting encounter between two undefeated and formidable teams.

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

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