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Tournament favorites Mumbai Knights were made to toil hard for a 1-0 win by a Spirited Aspire FC defense on Match 19 of the WIFA Women’s league.
Coming into the game, Aspire FC fielded a strong defensive setup to counter the free-scoring Mumbai Knights outfit, who prior to this game had notched 23 goals in 3 games.
The match began with Mumbai knight as expected taking control of the proceedings. The first chance of the game fell for Mumbai Knights striker Priyanka Sujeesh as her shot hit the bar from a well-taken set piece. The game turned a bit physical as both the teams started playing with a high tempo committed to winning the ball. Neither side managed to find any clear-cut chances as the first half progressed to its final minutes.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 41st minute when Knights striker Jahnavi Shetty struck a fantastic volley into the goal after receiving the ball from Ritika. Both sides entered the tunnel with Mumbai leading at the halftime break by a solitary goal margin.
In the second half, Aspire FC came out with positive intent as they would surge forward in attack in search of an equalizer. However, Knights’s defense held strong denying Aspire strikers any clear-cut chances.
At the other end, Mumbai Knights came very close to doubling the lead, when Priyanka Sujeesh with the ball on her feet dribbled past two defenders before taking on the goalkeeper. Her final shot managed to beat the keeper but a goal-line clearance denied the Knights their 2nd goal of the day.
With time running out and only one goal separating the two, Aspire continued to look for the goals coming close to scoring a couple of times. However, the final shot eluded them as the game ended 1-0 in favor of the Knights.
The win keeps Mumbai Knights in pace with PIFA who still continue to lead the league table with a game in hand.
FT: Mumbai Knights (Jahnavi Shetty 41’) 1 – 0 Aspire FC
