Ex-champs begin season with 2-0 win over Borivli side
Don Bosco (Matunga) and Don Bosco (Borivli) lads in a keen tussle for ball possession during their MSSA Div-I U-16 inter-school match at St Xavier's ground in Parel yesterday. Pics/Suresh Karkera
Former champions Don Bosco (Matunga) scored once in each half to overcome a spirited challenge from Don Bosco (Borivli), snatching a 2-0 win in a keenly contested boys' U-16 Division-I Group 'B' match of the MSSA inter-school football tournament, played in poor light, at the St Xavier's ground in Parel last evening.
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The clash of the Don's witnessed an interesting contest for supremacy as both the sides played an open, attacking game. The Matunga school boys managed to get the breakthrough when substitute Pratej Lanjewar, who was moving dangerously towards the rival goal, was fouled inside the box in the 28th minute. Skipper Keith Fernandes converted from the spot to make it 1-0. In the second half, the Borivli lads put some pressure on the rival goal. However, against the run of play, it was the Matunga side that added the second goal when Pratej scored from a erroneous defensive clearance (35th min).
Earlier, Army Public School scored a hard-fought 1-0 win over Jamnabai Narsee in another Group 'B' match. Karan Singh netted the winner. Meanwhile, both the Group 'A' encounters finished in a goalless draw. First, defending champ St Mary's SSC (Mazagaon) and St Pius (Mulund) were locked in a 0-0 draw, and later, Campion School and Cathedral & John Connon played out another tame goalless draw.
Bombay Intnl's Simran Jasubhai (left), Kimaya Mehta and K Aneesha (right)
Bombay Intl girls hold Jamnabai 0-0
Inspired by Sunday's Wimbledon men's singles final between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, a depleted Bombay International (Babulnath) showed tremendous resilience to hold a full-strength Jamnabai Narsee 0-0 in a girls U-16 Div-I match of the MSSA inter-school football tournament at Cooperage yesterday.
Midfielder Simran Jasubai said that the girls were inspired by Djokovic beating the legendary Federer. "We wanted to show similar resilience just like Djoko. And by not conceding a goal, we did," said Simran, who alongwith captain Aneesha Karwanyun and goalkeeper Kimaya Mehta were the team's star performers. Earlier, Dhriti Tiwari's late strike helped AVM (Bandra) hold defending champions Apostolic Carmel (Bandra) 1-1. Riya D'Souza scored for Apostolic Carmel.
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