IWL: Sandhiya's four goals take Sethu FC to semis

Sethu FC defeated Baroda Football Academy 6-0, with Sandhiya scoring four times and Amsavalli and Karthika adding the remaining two in Bangalore.

Sethu FC (in blue) in action against the Baroda Football Academy at the Bangalore Football Stadium.

Sethu FC qualified for the semifinals of the Indian Women’s League (IWL) after registering a dominating 6-0 victory over Baroda Football Academy at the Bangalore Football Stadium on Thursday on Thursday

Sethu’s Sandhiya had a stellar outing as she scored four goals,  with Amsavalli and Karthika adding the remaining two.

Earlier in the tournament, the defending champion was stunned by Group A leaders KRYPHSA in its second game but has bounced back strongly since.

Sethu drew first blood in the ninth minute when Baroda keeper Afshan Ashiq came off her line in an attempt to take the ball of Amsavalli’s feet but missed it completely, allowing the winger to go around her and feed Sandhiya on her left, who made no mistake with the goal gaping wide open.

Sandhiya added her second in the 15 minute after being played through on goal. She timed her run to perfection, beating the offside trap as she slotted the ball home to the goalkeeper’s bottom left.

Amsavalli netted the third in the 34 minute, in what seemed like a carbon copy of the second goal..

Sandhya completed her hat-trick in the 75 minute, capitalising on yet another lapse in the Baroda backline. Karthika added one of her own three minutes later, with the floodgates now wide open before Sandhiya added her fourth of the afternoon in the 82 minute, to take her IWL tally of the season to 13 goals, just two behind Gokulam Kerala’s talismanic forward Sabitra Bhandari, who has 15.

Later in the day, Asha Kumari (46th) and Techi Akung (56th) fired home to guide Kenkre FC to a narrow 2-1 win over Bangalore United FC in a Group B encounter. The win took Kenkre to the semifinals, the fourth team to qualify for the final four.

Amoolya Kamal was the lone goal scorer for BUFC in the 86th minute.