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Defending Champions Fr Agnel Multipurpose School, Vashi retained the Navi Mumbai District Boys U-17 DSO Football title after defeating their arch rivals St Lawrence High School, Vashi by a solitary goal scored in the seventh minute of the first half by their international star Amey Ranawade off a free kick.
The hosts showed better ball possession through out the forty minute final and often caught their rival forwards in a off side trap as and when there was a counter attack . Ranawade who had represented India at the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) Challenge Cup 2012, held in Kathmandu, Nepal recently found the net with a powerful grounder that brushed the gloves of diving St Lawrence custodian Sumith Singh and ricocheted of the second post in to the goal to flummox the visitors. The defensive ploy resorted by the visitors seemed to keep work as their hard working defenders Tejas Solanki, Aditya Baraskar, Rahul Jha and skipper Ashish Shetty managed to keep the hosts strikers at Zaid Kapdi and Raj Singh bay. Fr Agnel’s Kapdi and Raj Singh Siddharth Collaco had a golden opportunity each to put their team ahead with only the goal keeper to beat in a one on one situation, but were denied the glory. before the end of the first half.
St. Lawrence striker’s inability to settle down and make way coupled with repeated raids of the hosts in the second half once again put them in a disadvantage position. St Lawrence substitute Pawandeep Singh who had scored the match winner in the semifinal too was off colour. Tejas Solanki’s free kick, while Rahul Jha with his long ranger could not get past the Fr Agnel’s custodian Girish Naickar as he was saved both of them with ease. In the end the host who managed to earn five corners as against none by their opponents and would have won by a bigger margin had it not for some astute defending and saves by their rivals.
Earlier in the Semifinal ties both the finalist had to sweat it out before they won against their opponents by an identical margin of 1-0. Advait Shinde’s goal ensured Fr Agnel’s win over St Mary’s ICSE School, Koparkhairane. St Lawrence substitute Pawandeep Singh became a star for his team overnight as he capitalized on a misdirected clearance by St Xavier’s High School, Airoli defender to score past the reliable custodian Vivian D’Souza in what was a battle of equals.
Results:
Semi Finals:
Fr Agnel Multipurpose School, Vashi 1 (Advait Shinde) beat St Mary’s ICSE School, Koparkhairane 0 (HT 1–0); St Lawrence High School, Vashi 1 (Pawandeep Singh) beat St Xavier’s High School, Airoli 0 (HT 0-0).
Final:
Fr Agnel Multipurpose School, Vashi 1 (Amey Ranawade) beat St Lawrence High School, Vashi 0 (HT 1-0).
* Goal Scorers in Penalties
Text and Photo by Ashok Dhamija
