Goals galore as Indian Women's League starts off with a flyer

Rising Student Club (Odisha) routed Aizawl FC 6-1 riding on Sasmita Malik's treble while Eastern Sporting Union put seven goals past a hapless Jeppiaar in the other game.

ESU's Kamala Devi in action against Jeppiaar.

Sasmita Malik’s hat-trick set the tone for the inaugural edition of the Indian Women’s League as Rising Student Club, Odisha came back from behind to beat Aizawl FC 6-1 on the opening day at the Ambedkar Stadium in Delhi on

It was Aizawl FC which surged into the lead as early as the fourth minute – Elizabeth’s effort beating a diving Sukanti Raul under the Rising bar.

However, Rising Student Club, boasting of as many as eight International players in the starting XI pulled it back some nine minutes later – Anju Tamang slotting it home.

Ten minutes later Prari Xaxa, dubbed as the one for the future, set the tone hitting the target.

Sasmita Malik, 2016 AIFF Player of the year, a bit subdued in the early parts of the first half, tried to get into the thick of things but was foiled by Aizawl 'keeper Lalhruaizeli Changte.

Sasmita eventually put her name in the score sheet in the 41st minute, her placement making it 3-1 prior to the interval.

Sasmita scored two goals in the sceond half, either side of an Anju strike, as she completed her hattrick and her team's 6-1 rout. She was declared Player of the Match and was awarded Rs. 5,000.

“It was a good boost for us,” she said. “This victory will make us confident as we progress further in the League. We have worked very hard for the first edition of the IWL,” she said.

Result: Rising 6 (Anju Tamang – 13th and 88th, Pyari Xaxa – 23rd, Sasmita Malik – 41st, 77th and 90th) -- Aizawl 1 (Elizabeth – 4th)

ESU smashes Jeppiaar

It’s not every that you get to see two players scoring two hat-tricks in a single match. The inaugural day of the Indian Women’s League, however, was different.

National team striker Kamala Devi and Kashmina, her partner upfront, scored a hat-trick each as Eastern Sporting Union scored seven past a hapless Jeppiar Institute of Technology FC as it won 7-1 to register full points.

Including Sasmita Malik’s hat-trick in the opening match, there were three hat-tricks on the opening day itself.

Kamala, who was adjudged the Player of the match, said: "It feels nice to score goals in the opening match itself.”

“The win makes us more confident. This will be an intense battle. I need to thank all my team mates for keeping the supply line flowing all throughout,” she said.

Result: Jeppiaar 1 (Sandhya 63rd) -- ESU 7 (Kamala Devi – 44th and 62nd, 83rd, Kashmina – 71st, 88th and 90th, Premi Devi – 77th,)