Bhubaneswar: The Kalinga Warriors started strong, with Jennifer’s early strike from inside the box deflecting off an NFA defender and going out for a corner. In the 5th minute, Eliane Manbolamo gave the Warriors the lead, scoring a brilliant header off the corner kick.
Lynda Kom showcased her impressive skills in the 14th minute with a powerful strike from outside the box, but the NFA keeper’s touch deflected the ball onto the post. In the 33rd minute, Shreya Hooda made a crucial save to deny Nita FA an equalizer.
Just before halftime, in the 43rd minute, Lynda Kom extended Odisha's lead. Neha made a fantastic run down the middle, setting up Lynda for a tussle with the defender before calmly slotting the ball past the keeper with a low driven shot.
The second half saw both teams eager to score. In the 47th minute, Neha made another great run down the left and delivered a perfect cutback to Kajol, but her shot was blocked. Jennifer then had a chance to increase the lead, but her effort missed the target as it the bar and went out.
In the 71st minute, Kajol provided a brilliant through ball to Neha, who dribbled into the box but shot straight at the keeper. Shreya Hooda continued her fine form, making several crucial saves to preserve the clean sheet.
