Sr Women’s National Football C’ship: Tamil Nadu, Odisha storm into semi-finals

Amritsar: Two goals by Satyabati Khadia were enough for Odisha to see off Chandigarh in a 2-0 win in the Senior Women’s National Football Championship at the GNDU Main Ground, here on Friday.

With this win, Odisha cemented their place in the second position in Group A with 12 points from 5 matches and progressed to the semi-finals. Chandigarh finished their campaign with four points from as many matches.

Later adjudged the Player of the Match, Satyabati Khadia opened the scoring for Odisha in the 27th minute when she controlled an aerial cross from the left with a brilliant right-footed first touch and followed it with a left-footed placement to the far post, giving Chandigarh custodian Kajal no chance to react.

Satyabati doubled the lead and effectively ended Chandigarh’s hopes of a possible comeback in the 87th minute. After exchanging a couple of passes with Pyari Xaxa, she rolled the ball into the net to make it 2-0.

Odisha now will face the winners of Group B in the semi-finals.

Jharkhand blank Karnataka

Jharkhand finished their campaign on a high when they registered their first win beating Karnataka 3-0 in a Group A clash at the Guru Nanak Stadium.

A brace from Player of the Match Asha Kumari and a solitary goal from Kusma Kispotta was enough for Jharkhand to overcome Karnataka’s challenge. The win helped Jharkhand finish third in the group with four points from five matches and above Karnataka on better goal difference.

Easy for Tamil Nadu

A hat-trick by Player of the Match Indumathi Kathiresan steered former champions, Tamil Nadu to a 4-0 victory over Punjab in a Group A match at the GNDU Main Ground. The other goal of the match was scored by Yuvarani R.

Tamil Nadu finished the group stages with a perfect record of 15 points from five matches. Punjab ended up with three points.

Tamil Nadu will face the runners-up of Group B in the semi-finals.