Himachal clinch junior girls' title after 3-1 win over Jharkhand

Himachal Pradesh were crowned champions of the Hero Junior Girls' National Football Championship 2019-20 on Wednesday after a 3-1 victory over Jharkhand in the final.

Anju, Kiran and Manisha found the net for the winners while Kuwari Indwar scored the lone goal for Jharkhand.

Both teams looked determined to open the scoring from the outset. Five minutes into the match, the deadlock was broken by Himachal Pradesh through skipper Anju, who made a well-timed run from midfield before collecting a through pass and flicking it past the onrushing goalkeeper.

In the very next minute, Nisha almost made it two for Himachal with a vicious shot from the left flank that was brilliantly tipped over the crossbar by Jharkhand custodian Sandhya Toppo.

The save proved to be crucial as the scores were soon level in the ninth minute through Kuwari Indwar. The Jharkhand forward latched on to a loose ball inside the penalty area and turned swiftly to place the ball into the top corner and make the score 1-1.

However, Himachal restored their advantage in the 11th minute with one of the best goals of the tournament - scored by Kiran. Controlling a cleared ball outside the box, she brought the ball down and slammed it into the bottom corner with the outside of her foot, putting her side in the lead.