Jharkhand, Orissa register easy wins in women''s football

Jamshedpur, Feb 13 (PTI) Defending champions Orissa camefrom behind to trounce Tamil Nadu 3-1 while host Jharkhandopened its account with a 4-2 win over Haryana on theinaugural day of the 34th National Games women�s footballcompetition at JRD Tata Sports Complex here today.

Orissa women in dominated the proceedings right from thebeginning making repeated forays in the first half.

Tamil Nadu''s forward M Sathya drew the first blood in the34th minutes after she grabbed the ball from a mis-kick byOrissa goalkeeper Swarnamayee Samal and lobbed it over her togive her team the lead.

Orissa, who defeated Manipur in finals of the lastedition of the National Games in Guwahati, put their acttogether and bounced back into the match as Pinky managed toscore the equalizer in the 46th minute.

Pinky received an accurate pass from mid-fielder ManishaPanna from left flank and dodged the Tamil Nadu custodian P.

Satyavani to score the equalizer.

Orissa did not allow the rivals into their zones afterboth the teams locked 1-1 and Pinky received a mid-field passand dribbled passed the Tamil Nadu�s defence line convertinganother goal within two minutes.

After the breather, Orissa continued to attack the rivalbastion but missed the target at least couple of times.

However, Jilli Munda, who substituted the Orissa captainSradhanjali Samantaray in the first half, scored the thirdgoal after receiving a pass from Pinky near goalmounth in the74th minute.

In another Group A match, hosts Jharkhand defeatedHaryana 4-2 at the same venue.

19-year-old striker Dular Marandi scored all the fourgoal (15th, 31st, 45th, 65th) for Jharkhand while Rajni andMinakshi scored a goal each for Haryana.

Marandi, a Xth standard student from Hazaribagh, put theteam into the lead after she received a cross from rightwinger Jaspina Hasse and neatly placed the ball in the 15thminute.

Marandi, who impressed the selectors following herimpressive performance at the Junior National at Jammu lastmonth, scored the second goal off Captain Negi Mardi''s passbut Rajni fetched the reducer for Hayana just second beforethe lemon break.

Even as both the team indulged in making forays, Maranditore apart the rival defense and scored in the 45th butMinakshi converted a crosspiece from left flank to reduce themargin 3-2 in the 48th mintue.

Marandi increased the tally in the 65th minute whenmid-fielder Shanti Pariya send an measured pass near the goalmouth.