Thane ends runner’s-up

Mumbai registered a clinical 3-0 win over Thane in the summit clash of Inter-District Sub-Junior Boys Football Championship organised by Western India Football Association (WIFA) and played at the at SVKM Mukesh R. Patel Military School ground, Shirpur, Dhule. Earlier the contest for third place saw Pune’s strategic prowess as reflected by their comfortable 3-0 win over Palghar, after capitalizing on their early lead and maintaining a solid defensive stance throughout the match.

The two unbeaten outfits Mumbai and Thane^ who qualified for the title round at the back of contrasting wins in the semis earlier, played a spectacular final match much to the delight of the football aficionados at the venue.

Mumbai’s captain Ranvir Chona, made his mark with a swift goal early past the reliable Thane district goalkeeper Satyajeet Yadav early in the very first half of the game to put his team ahead 1-0. Buoyed by the early success, Group A topper Mumbai pressed on, displaying impressive teamwork and coordination, in the face of a stubborn resistance of their rivals before ending up with a solitary goal at half time.

Change of ends soon after saw the  leading goal scorer of the tournament, Anaai Dsouza (10) along with and his team mate Samarth Rai power Mumbai’s momentum with their clinical finishing, The duo added to their team’s lead with a goal each as the match progressed in the second half. Despite Thane’s efforts to stage a late comeback, Mumbai’s defense led by their custodian Aaradhya Shastri held firm, thwarting every attempt with resilience and composure under the post. The final whistle signalled the Rajesh Dhamne coached side emerge victorious by a margin of 3-0, triggering euphoria and joy among the Mumbai players and their supporters including parents.

On the other hand a sense of disappointment engulfed the Enoch Gill coached Thane side which had topped the Group D at the back of 13-1 win over Beed District in their opening knockout group game and followed it up a narrow 1-0 win over Raigad District in the next round to qualify for the quarters against Hingoli whom they trounced by a margin of 10-0.

The organising committee post the match was also recognized individual excellence with Thane’s Satyajeet Yadav being honored with the ‘Best Goalkeeper award’ for his exceptional skills between the sticks. Meanwhile, Mumbai’s Anaai D’souza clinched the ‘Top Scorer award’, with an impressive 11 goals including two hat-tricks throughout the tournament. Pune’s Badal Kamble and Ariv Nayak were also among the goals scoring 9 each

Earlier the prestigious tournament aimed at showcasing the future stars of football, while fostering talent, passion for the game and sportsmanship among the young athletes, witnessed participation from 32 district teams from across Maharashtra competing for glory during the week long tournament.

The tournament characterized by fierce competition resulted in some surprising early exits, with giants like Kolhapur and Nagpur bowing out sooner than expected. Meanwhile, districts like Palghar and Thane made significant strides, with Palghar reached the top four

Later Mumbai dominance in the first semi-final, saw them overpower Group B topper Palghar with a commanding 6-1 victory, led by Anaai Dsouza’s remarkable performance, who netted four goals. Thane on the other hand secured their spot in the final by defeating Pune district with a solid 2-0 scoreline, following a goal apiece by Saikrishna Menon and Nivason Golmel.

Results

Pre-Quarter-finals:

Amravati 3* beat Ahmednagar 0; Mumbai 6* beat  Akola 1*; Palghar 10* beat  Nanded 0;  Thane 1* beat  Raigad 0; Pune 12* beat  Buldana 0; Dhule 17* beat  Parbhani 0; Nashik 3* beat  Latur 0; Hingoli  2* beat  Wardha 1*.

Quarter-finals: 

Pune 10* beat Dhule 1*; Palghar 2(3)* beat  Nashik 2(2)*; Mumbai 5 (Kiaf Khan 2, Anaai Dsouza 1, Ayush Gupta 1, Ayaansh Mathur 1) beat  Amravati 0; Thane 10 (Aprit Desai 2, Sukal Jamuda 2, Anvit Dandekar 1, Ranveer Kumar 1) beat  Hingoli 0.

Semi-finals:

Mumbai 6 (Anaai Dsouza 4, Ayaansh Mathur 1, Arssh Gupta 1) beat Palghar 1*; Thane 2 (Saikrishna Menon 1, Nivason Golmel 1) beat Pune 0.

Final:

Mumbai 3 (Ranvir Chona 1, Anaai Dsouza 1, Samarth Rai 1) beat Thane 0 (HT 1- 0)

^Included players from Navi Mumbai Municipal jurisdiction

* Goalscorers names not available