Sabitra Bhandari’s 67th minute strike proved the difference as Gokulam Kerala FC opened its Hero Indian Women’s League campaign on a winning note with a 1-0 defeat of Sreebhumi FC at the Football Stadium here on Sunday. Sreebhumi goalie Rumpa Malik’s failure to collect the ball cleanly cost her team dear as Sabitra slotted in the stray ball from close range.
The scoreline, though, didn’t reflect Gokulam’s dominance adequately. Sreebhumi players had their backs to the wall almost for the entirety of the match as Gokulam poured forward almost at will. Gokulam even rattled the woodwork on multiple occasions, but the forward players’ profligacy meant that it had just one goal to show.
In the day’s other match, Satyabati Khadia’s brace helped Bangalore United FC register a 2-1 win over Bidesh XI SC. The opening goal in the 22nd minute was a deft chip over the Bidesh goalie Astrid Savia before Satyabati doubled the lead on the hour mark when Savia fumbled a long ball and the forward made no mistake in bundling it into the empty net.
The results: Gokulam Kerala FC 1 (Sabitra Bhandari 67) bt Sreebhumi FC 0; Bangalore United FC 2 (Satyabati Khadia 22, 59) bt Bidesh XI SC 1 (Susmita Jadhav 86).
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