IWL 2019 Roundup: Manipur Police and Sethu pummell 17 goals on final day of regular season

In the last game of the regular season of the 2019 Indian Women's League (IWL), Manipur Police recorded a sensational 10-0 win over Bangalore United FC at the Guru Nanak Stadium in Ludhiana on Saturday.

Earlier in the day, Sethu FC were 7-0 victors over Baroda Football Academy as both the teams that finished top two in Cluster II ended the league phase on a high.

For Manipur Police, six goals from Bala Devi (3’, 15’, 16’, 23’, 59’, 78’) stole the show. Daya Devi (21’, 36’) got a brace while Rinaroy Devi (58’) and Mandakini Devi (74’) joined the party.

It was not the first time the Imphal side have scored ten in a game. In their second game of the group stage, SAI-STC Cuttack were the side which had to bear the brunt of Manipur. Bala Devi also scored six in that game.

To complete her hat-trick against Bangalore, Bala dribbled past five defenders and left 'keeper Crystal Ann Pinto for dead, rounding off a beautiful phase of play. The half-time score already read 6-0.

After scoring her fifth, Bala could have got her sixth in no time but Pinto did well to save. But, the goal was inevitable in the last quarter of the game.

Manipur Police finished second in the group with 12 points on board while Bangalore United were second-bottom with four points. Bala added to her 16 goals to make it 22 in the season to remain the leading scorer.



Finishing on top of the pile were Sethu FC, who won all of their games, ending with 15 points. Sandhiya Ranganathan (14’, 37’, 39’, 86’) put past four, Ashalata Devi (42'), Indumathi Kathiresan (75') and Ratanbala Devi (84') scored in a 7-0 win.

India international winger Sandhiya struck her first goal within the first quarter of an hour to give the side from Madurai the lead.

She broke free of the defence on the left, entered the box, and slipped a left-footer past Baroda goalkeeper Pinki Darji. Ashalata made it 4-0 at the break after Sandhiya's hat-trick.

Baroda did put up some resistance in the second half but, they ran out of steam towards the end. Indumathi Kathiresan, Ratanbala Devi, and Sandhiya added three more in the last 15 minutes.

Sethu face Central SSB Women while Manipur Police lock horns with Gokulam Kerala Ladies in the semi-finals on Monday.