20th Women National Football Championship : Manipur thrash Railways to make last four stage
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 07 2014:
Continuing their domination, the State Women football team stormed into the semi-final of the 20th Woman National Football Championship, drubbing formidable Railways by an impressive margin of 4 goals to nil to enter the semi-final stage.
The tournament is underway at Bokakhat, Assam.
The Manipur Women football team have been dominating the scene for the last many years and have consecutively won it since 1997-98, winning the maiden title in the 1992-1993 edition.
Ng Bala was once in the thick of things, leading the attack and scoring a brace.
From the first whistle, the girls from Manipur went on the attack and started making a series of forays into the territory of Railways, a reputed team by any standard in India.
Finding the gaps in the defence line of Railways, the players from Manipur started making a number of dangerous moves and the first goal came in the 8th minute of the match, when the ball went to an unmarked Ng Bala who was well positioned to take a well directed shot at the goal and put her team up by one goal.
The players from Manipur however did not rest on the early goal and they kept on piling the pressure with some fine runs down the flanks and caught the defenders of Railways on the wrong foot a couple of times.
The second goal was a result of some passing between the forward lines of the players from Manipur.
With short, crisp passes and the forward line of Manipur penetrated deep into the defence of Railways and the Ng Bala was once again at it, when she shrugged off her markers and went off on a fast solo run from the midfield.
Taking the ball deep into the penalty box of Railways, Bala found the goal without much ado in the 26th minute.
At the lemon break Manipur were leading by a comfortable margin of 2 goals to nil.
The players from Railways never really got into the match with the Manipur players spread all over the field and making repeated forays into their territory.
Railways relied on quick counter attacks, but all their efforts went in vain as the defence line of Manipur stood their ground and did not let the Railways players have a good luck at the goal at any moment of the game.
Outplayed in every department of the game, it was the team from Manipur all the way from the first to the final whistle.
Up by two goals, but the Manipur girls still did not rest on the comfortable cushion and went about systematically demolishing the defence line of Railways with some fine team work and individual brilliance.
The third goal came in the 53rd minute, when Dangmei Grace found herself on the scorers list with a scorching shot that left the custodian of Railways firmly rooted to the ground.
Taking possession of the ball in the midfield, the players from Manipur went deep down the flank with some fast running, controlling the ball with ease.
The fast run caught the defence of Railways on the wrong foot and they could nothing as a player released a well measured pass to the centre of the penalty box.
Dangmei Grace, did well to read the flight of the ball and the speed and after neatly controlling the ball, wrong footed a couple of defenders and took the ball deep into the penalty box of Railways.
Faced with only the custodian to beat, Grace had no problem in sending her the wrong way with a cleverly placed shot and helped her team take a formidable three goal lead.
The attack continued and O Bembem was again found herself in the thick of things when she netted the ball from in the 66th minute of the match.
Receiving a defence splitting pass from the mid field, Bembem outplayed the defenders of Railways and netted home the ball in the 66th minute to complete the rout.
The Manipur team could have increased the lead when they were awarded a penalty kick in the 85th minute, but Bembem shot wide.
Manipur will meet Delhi in the semi-final on May 11 .
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