by
Sumaiyya Shaikh struck her second hat-trick of the campaign as Maharashtra completed a comprehensive 3-0 win over 8-time runner-up Odisha to end the campaign on a positive note.
Despite picking up 3 wins and 9 points from 4 matches, Maharashtra missed out on Knock out round qualification by just a point as Dadra & Nagar Haveli sneaked past them with 10 points in 4 games.
In the final game against a strong Odisha outfit, Maharashtra came out confidently and moved the ball well in attack. In the 24th minute, Sumaiyya broke the deadlock with a clean strike past the keeper to make it 1-0. Both sides continued with some end-to-end football with the Maharashtra defense managing to comfortably thwart every Odisha attack
Early in the second half, Sumaiyya doubled the lead for Maharashtra in the 49th minute before around the hour mark she completed her hat-trick with a fine strike to make it 3-0. The game eventually ended as Maharashtra ended their campaign with 9 points from three games.
Meanwhile, in the simultaneously running other group F game, Dadra & Nagar Haveli managed to thrash Chandigarh 4-0 to secure their spot for the Knockouts sneaking past Maharashtra by a solitary point
FT: Maharashtra (Sumaiyya Shaikh 24’, 49’, 65’ 3 – 0 Odisha
