East Bengal FC 3 (Sandhiya Ranganathan 55′, Maurine Achieng 69′, Soumya Guguloth 80′)
beat
Sethu FC 0
AIFF Media Team
KOLKATA: East Bengal FC continued their exceptional form in the 2024-25 Indian Women’s League, dispatching former champions Sethu FC 3-0 at the East Bengal Club Ground on Tuesday, January 28, 2025. It marked their fourth consecutive win, a streak that has already put them four points clear at the top of the table. Sandhiya Ranganathan, Maurine Achieng and Soumya Guguloth were the scorers for the Moshal Girls.
The match ended Sethu FC’s undefeated run. The Madurai side have slipped to third place with seven points from four outings.
The game began with East Bengal asserting their dominance early on. Their play was characterised by a high degree of purpose and freedom, demonstrating a combination of strong defensive structure and creative attacking moves. Initially, both teams approached the match with caution, with East Bengal gradually taking control and generating the bulk of goal-scoring opportunities. Despite several chances, the finishing touch eluded East Bengal’s forwards in the first half, leaving the game goalless at the break.
The closest chance for the hosts in the first half came just before the interval. Resty Nanziri found herself through on goal but her final effort was weak and comfortably saved by Sethu goalkeeper Sarangthem Khambi Chanu.
On the other side, Sethu ventured forward on the break a few times. They tested East Bengal goalkeeper Elangbam Panthoi Chanu, who was equal to the task and kept out all attempts to maintain her third clean sheet of the season.
The second half saw East Bengal intensify their attack and their efforts bore fruit in the 55th minute. Sandhiya Ranganathan received a superb pass that split Sethu’s defence, allowing her to outpace her marker and coolly slot home from the edge of the box to give East Bengal the lead.
The home team’s momentum continued and they doubled their advantage in the 69th minute through a cleverly executed set-piece. After a short corner, Sandhiya whipped in a low cross that found Maurine Achieng in the box, who was quick to react and tapped the ball into the net.
The final goal came in the 80th minute. Soumya Guguloth, who burst through the midfield with a galloping run, weaved past two defenders before elegantly rounding Khambi to score and seal an emphatic victory for East Bengal.
