Urvi and Sakshi shine as Maharashtra clinches second win of Senior Womens NFC

by Chittu Shetty November 25, 2023

Second half goals from Urvi Salunkhe and Sakshi Hiwale gives Maharashtra a convincing 2-0 victory against Bihar in the ongoing 28th Senior Women’s National Football Championship.

Coming on the back of their remarkable 25-0 triumph over Andaman & Nicobar in the tournament opener, the Maharashtra girls continued their dominance with a another commanding performance against Bihar in the 2nd group game of Senior Womens National Football Championship.

Maharashtra made one change in the starting lineup from the previous game, with striker Samrudhi Katkole stepping in for midfielder Sharvari Donkar. The first half witnessed a closely contested battle, with Bihar’s attackers testing the defensive mettle of the Maharashtra squad. The girls exhibited a solid defensive performance as the quartet of Mansi, Rani, Pranita and Prerna, consistently repelled Bihar’s advances while Goalkeeper Payal sweeped up any attack that breached the defence.

Soon Maharashtra started getting into their attack with Arya More coming close to breaking the deadlock. A well-placed corner by Vaishnavi Barate found Arya unmarked in the box, but her header narrowly went over the bar. Moments later another chance came for Arya as she attempted a long-range shot, but the ball once again couldn’t find the right dip and sailed over the bar, leaving both teams deadlocked at 0-0.

Halftime brought tactical substitutions, with Urvi Salunkhe and Aishwarya Jagtap joining the action. The impact of the changes was immediate, as Maharashtra emerged with renewed vigor in the second half.

The pivotal moment arrived in the 54th minute when Aishwarya Jagtap did well to win the ball amongst the Bihar players in their own half before setting up Urvi Salunkhe on the right wing. Urvi’s precise shot from a tight angle found the top left corner of the net, breaking the stalemate and propelling Maharashtra into a 1-0 lead.

Bihar attempted a comeback, but Maharashtra’s defense held strong, at the other end, Maharashtra worked on creating scoring opportunities on counters. Bihar’s goalkeeper, Khushboo Kumari, made couple of crucial saves, a point blank save inside the box before tipping over Maharashtra’s skipper Aishwarya Bhonde’s shot from outside the box.

The match’s conclusion witnessed a dramatic sequence of events as Maharashtra sealed the victory in style. A perfectly executed corner by Nishka Parkash found Sakshi Hiwale making a well-timed run into the box to connect with the ball and sealing a 2-0 win for Maharashtra.

With two consecutive victories in the group stage, Maharashtra’s women’s team continues to impress will look to maintain their unbeaten streak in the championship when they face Himachal Pradesh on 27th November.

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

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