India defeats Sri Lanka in SAFF U-19 Women Championship

By: WE Staff | Tuesday, 14 December 2021

India U-19 Women’s Team defeated Sri Lanka by a 5-0 margin to register their first points of the tournament.

Santosh, Karen Estrocio and Priyanka Devi netted one goal each to complete the route for India while Nitu Linda scored two goals for the Alex Ambrose-coached outfit. India got the lead in the second minute itself when Santosh put in the net. Sri Lanka keeper TJN Dewage saved a shot from the midfielder. However, Santosh managed to smash it into the net.

Karen Estrocio nodded the ball into an empty net after it came over the goalkeeper in her direction and doubled the lead three minutes later. Nitu Linda jinked past her marker to slot the stray balls that kept falling at Indian feet before being blocked again and again. The Indian girls settled nicely into the match with a three-goal lead.

Nitu got the fourth goal in the 41st minute after she produced a shot from outside the box that trickled into the bottom corner.

In the second half, before Karen’s shot off the rebound was parried away, captain Shilky had a direct free kick thwarted by the keeper. In the 76th minute, Lynda Kom Serto came close to scoring the fifth goal for India, which saw the midfielder’s shot bounce back off the post. Five minutes later, Nitu Linda’s header thudded off the inside of the post. A minute later, Priyanka Devi handed India the fifth and final goal.