Shillong, Dec 27: H Elias Higher Secondary School had to come from a goal behind to win their opening match of the Reliance Foundation Youth Sports 2019-20 National Football Finals against Kamla Devi Public School of Bhopal 2-1 in Navi Mumbai today.
Senior Boys defending champions Shillong College, meanwhile, churned out a 3-1 victory over Chandigarh side Chitkara International School thanks to a brace from player-of-the-match Kitboklang Khyriem.
In the Junior Boys category, however, H Elias went behind in around the 20th minute of the 30-minute-a-half match before captain Gladdy Kharbuli found the equaliser in the 45th via a penalty. Kharbuli then turned provider for team mate Sangti Janai Shianglong, who received the former’s long ball and squeezed it through the legs of the goalkeeper to take the lead in the 54th minute.
In the earlier game Shillong College took the lead rather fortuitously in the fifth minute when Baiaikara Swer had his leg in the right position for a free-kick that came off a defender and onto his own foot before going into the net. Khyriem then doubled the lead on 10 minutes by tapping in a cross from the left. The Chandigarh school pulled one back a few minutes later, but Khyriem returned with another goal in the second half for his side to take the contest.
(Reliance Foundation photo. H Elias HSS are in blue)
