Indian Women's League: Sethu FC bounce back in style, defeat Gokulam 2-0

CHENNAI: After being outplayed by KRYHPSA (Manipur) in the opening fixture, Sethu FC bounced back in style in the Indian Women's League at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong on Thursday.
Riding goals from Sabina Khatun (17th minute) and Manisha (86th), the Madurai-based team blanked Gokulam Kerala 2-0 in a match which was interrupted by rain twice. The victory helped Sethu open their account in the competition.They now have three points from two matches.
It was Gokulam which started the match on a positive note and created a flurry of chances. Fazila saw her shot blocked while Manpreet saw her effort going straight to Sethu goalkeeper Sowmiya.
A few minutes later, Fazila had also found Subitha in the clear but the latter was unable to control the ball. Fazila and Sanathopki were combining well but were unable to get through.
In the 17th minute, Sethu scored against the run of play. Bangladeshi recruit Sabina made a run down the right before cutting in and smashing home the opener.
Sabina almost doubled the lead in the 37th minute but her shot was blocked by Rumpa, who made another crucial save towards the end of the first half to keep the scoreline 1-0.
The second half too began in the same manner as the first as Fazila forced a save off Sowmiya, who won the player of the match award, in the 48th minute. The momentum shifted dramatically soon after as Sethu started imposing themselves on the game.
Indumathi, Sabina and Manisha troubled the Gokulam backline. They had a fantastic chance in the 72nd minute but Manisha bungled. Manisha did make amends in the 86th minute when she latched on to Sabina's ball to drive it home.
Sethu coach Kalpana Dass was happy with the win. "I'm happy with the win. But this is just the first step, there are more challenges to come," Dass said. "The Kerala side had experienced players in their line-up but we played to our strengths and that got us through," she added.
Sethu will now take on Rising Student's Club on April 2 while Gokulam Kerala FC face Indira Gandhi Academy SE.