Inter-School Football: Don Bosco beat St Stanislaus to emerge U-16 champs

The Don Bosco U-16 team after their victory over St Stanislaus at the Cooperage, Colaba, on Sunday. Pic/Anurag Ahire

Don Bosco High School (Matunga) reasserted their superiority in Mumbai schools football. In a repeat of last year's final, the Matunga lads earned a hard-fought 1-0 win over arch-rivals St Stanislaus High School (Bandra) in an engrossing MSSA boys U-16 Division-I final at the Cooperage, Colaba, on Sunday.

Ayush Kharat, 14, scored the all-important title-winning goal when he converted a penalty, to finally beat St Stanislaus goalkeeper Jordan Kamble, who was brilliant under the bar. Jordan showed amazing agility and silver quick reflexes as he made half-a-dozen outstanding saves to thwart attempts from rival attackers.

Ayush Kharat

The Bosco boys kept showing urgency and launched a series of attacks on the Stanislaus citadel, but found it difficult to get past Jordan, who showed good anticipation and clean collections to deny Ayush, Yohaan Punjuani and Arya from close range. However, just as the match seemed to be heading for a goalless draw, Don Bosco were awarded a penalty when Stanislaus's central defender Sahil Sargurah clashed with Yohaan inside the box. Ayush shot firmly to the right of Jordan, who dived corectly, but couldn't get to the ball.

"I'm very excited that I succeeded in scoring the penalty because it helped us win the MSSA title for the third successive year. The Stanislaus goalkeeper was simply brilliant and made some terrific saves, but somehow I kept my cool and managed to score from the spot. All my teammates played well and we perfectly carried out the instructions of our coach Leslie [Machado] sir. It feels so nice to finish school football on a victorious note," Ayush, a Class X student, told mid-day.

In the third-place match, Cathedral & John Connon (Fort) beat St Paul's (Dadar) 2-0. Ramit Sherowala and Jahaan Sheth scored a goal each for the winning side.