Indira Gandhi Academy SE (IGASE) scored a 2-1 win over India Rush Soccer Club in Indian Women’s League match at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong on Wednesday.
Forward Pradeepa opened the scoring in the 15th minute for IGASE. Dalima equalised for India Rush in the 28th before Sandhiya scored the winner in the 74th minute of the game.
The win took Indira Gandhi Academy to three points from two matches.
The teams began on an even footing. Sandhiya had an early chance but her free-kick went straight to keeper Aditi Chauhan.
Pradeepa, then, unleashed a left footer in the 15th minute that beat Aditi on her left and went into the left bottom corner to give Indira Gandhi Academy the lead.
Dalima Chibber equalised when she took on the goalie from 40 yards out with her effort finding the back of the net.
The goal lit up the match as the teams attacked and counter-attacked but were let down each time with indecisiveness in the final third.
Sandhiya then missed a chance for IGASE to take the lead at the end of the first half. Sumithra had sent a near-perfect cross to Sandhiya, who shot it wide even as she had only the goalie to beat.
Indira Gandhi Academy dominated the proceedings after the break as India Rush found it difficult to get the ball into the other half.
Aditi made two vital saves in the 60th and 64th minute. The first one was a blinder where she denied Sumithra from point blank range while in the next one she denied Amalarasi by rushing out to cut the angle.
IGASE continued the onslaught by earning a couple of corners but the goal didn’t arrive.
Then a forward pass from the back split open the India Rush defence as Sandhiya made the run forward to latch on to the ball. She rounded up the keeper and then placed the ball into the empty net to score the eventual winner.
India Rush Soccer Club will next play Eastern Sporting Union on March 31 while Indira Gandhi ASE will take on Gokulam Kerala FC on the same day.