Post News Network
Action in Women’s football league
Cuttack, July 14: The FAO-organised women’s football league final Wednesday between East Coast Railways (ECoR) and Sports Hostel, Bhubaneswar at the Bidanasi ground here is poised to be a David versus Goliath battle. But here, unlike the mythological outcome, Goliath is expected to be the overwhelming favourite to emerge winner.
In spite of the fact that Sports Hostel have beaten the heavyweights of the tournament, Orissa Police, which had a number of state-level players, ECoR have the firepower to gun down any opposition.
ECoR have been the most affluent outfit in the championship as barring a draw against Chand Club, they have managed to win all their other matches and that too by handsome margins including the group stage encounter against Sports Hostel, when they fought back and won 3-1 after being a goal down.
The Railway eves have scored 13 goals and conceded just two, which speaks volumes about their all-round ability. All their main players, namely Supriya Routray, Sangita Patra, Subhaprabha Rout, Subhadra Rout and Jhilli Munda have been in superb form as they have scored at least two goals each with Supriya being the leader of pack with four goals.
On the other hand, Sports Hostel somehow managed to enter the semis after securing four points in Group A. They have a stout defence conceding just one goal in the tournament. Jabamani Tudu has been their lone warrior up front scoring three goals.
The final will be fought between the ECoR strikers against the defenders of Sports Hostel and though the latter are not favourites on paper, they have the ability to take the game to a shootout. After that it’s anybody’s game.