24 November,2015 07:35 AM IST | | Rufus Vedanayagam
Striker scores brace as Juhu girls beat Bai Avabai Framji Petit (Bandra) 3-2 to enter U-14 Division-II quarter-finals
Riding on Khushi Gupta's brace, Jamnabai Narsee (Juhu) registered a narrow 3-2 win over Bai Avabai Framji Petit Girls High School (Bandra) to book a spot in the quarter-finals of the Mumbai School Sports Association (MSSA) girls' U-14 Division II inter-school football tournament at Azad Maidan yesterday.
Jamnabai Narsee's Khushi Gupta (in blue) and Bai Avabai Framji Petit School's goalkeeper Svikriti Bharadwaj during an U-14 match at Azad Maidan yesterday. Pic/Sameer Markande
Jamnabai Narsee took the lead in the fifth minute through skipper Reya Gandhi. But five minutes later, Dinaz Sarkari equalised for the Bandra school following an assist from teammate Annuben Jiwasa from the left flank. In the 16th minute, Alla Kolhaa put Bai Avabai Framji Petit into the lead with a neat strike into the right of goal to end the first half 2-1.
The Jamnabai girls however, returned from the break all guns blazing. Khushi stormed home the equaliser in the 35th minute and two minutes got the match-winner via a fine solo run down the left flank.
"We planned to keep some of our strong players on the bench and play them second half after tiring out the opposition. I'm glad the plan worked," said Jamnabai Narsee coach Jyoti Alva. Bai Avabai coach Rajaram Shetty conceded his girls tired out towards the end. "Our players were tired in the second half and once we conceded the second goal, the opponents gained momentum and added a third," he said.
Meanwhile, in another play-offs game Dhirubhai Ambani International (BKC) beat Ryan International (Kandivli) 2-0. Shubhika Munot and Ira Gupta scored a goal each as the Dhirubhai Ambani girls also booked their quarter-final spot.
