Shillong: Pynhun Shulet’s hat-trick of goals against Mizoram saw the Meghalaya girls’ team qualify at the top of Pool B on the sixth day of the Assam Rifles CAPF Under-19 Football Talent Hunt Tournament at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Tuesday.
The earlier game saw Manipur become the first team in the competition to notch up consecutive victories after they beat Nagaland 5-0 in Pool A.
The lightning fast Shulet got her goals in the fifth, 34th and 40th minute, the last via a penalty.
It all started when a pass on the left looking for Shulet was intercepted by the Mizoram defence, but Meghalaya’s No. 7 stole the ball away and slotted it low into the corner of the net.
Shulet was then twice denied by excellent saves by Mizoram goalkeeper Esther Hmingthansangi, who had a good day under the bar despite conceding the three goals.
Mizoram also created several chances, but either aimed wide or saw Meghalaya custodian Banrisha Wahlang deny them.
Meghalaya led 1-0 into the break, but Shulet wasted no time in getting going in the second session, slamming a left-footed shot past the diving Hmingthansangi in the 34th minute.
Six minutes later Solina Jaba was fouled in the box and Shulet bagged her hat-trick by aiming high into the top corner of the net to make it 3-0. Meghalaya thus finished with four points to Mizoram’s three, while Tripura bow out with one point.
In the other fixture, Manipur’s S Ranjana Chanu scored a brace and claimed two assists on the way to her team’s convincing victory.
Chanu started by heading in a cross from the right flank in the 22nd minute before turning provider in first half stoppage time for A Roja Devi, who had an easy tap-in to complete.
In the second half Chanu chipped the ball forward towards goal, an attempt that was helped on its way by a deflection from a defender.
N Ratanbala Devi then scored her brace, the first after an assist by Chanu, who went deep on the left, drawing out the goalkeeper, before passing neatly for Devi to score into an open net. Devi then capitalised on a defensive mistake to add to Manipur’s total in stoppage time.
Manipur finished the league stage with six points. Despite the defeat Nagaland progress to the semifinals with three points. Arunachal Pradesh are out after two defeats.
BOYS’ SEMIS TODAY
In the boys’ division, Pool A toppers Mizoram will take on Pool B runners-up Meghalaya at 1PM, followed by Pool B toppers Manipur going up against Pool A runners-up Tripura at 3:30PM.