Women's football national: Karen hat-trick fashions Maharashtra's big win

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Kozhikode, Nov 29 (IANS) Former junior India striker Karen Pais hogged the limelight by notching up a fine hat-trick which fashioned Maharashtra's (WIFA) emphatic 6-0 win against Arunachal Pradesh in a Group-E league match of the AIFF Senior Women's National Football Championship at the EMS Corporation Stadium, Kozhikode, on Monday. Karen's teammate Valencia D'Mello struck a brace of goals and Trupti Deep netted one to round off the winning tally.

In other matches on Monday, Sandhya scored eight goals as Tamil Nadu thrashed Telangana 20-0 at Kozhikode while Himachal Pradesh defeated Bihar 3-2 at Municipal Stadium, Kuthuparamba. Parnita Tirkey scored a goal as Jharkhand upset Karnataka by a lone goal; Delhi held Goa 1-1; Sikkim beat Jammu and Kashmir 5-0 and Assam beat Rajasthan 7-0.

Punjab were held to a goalless draw by Indian Football Association (IFA).

The Maharashtra attackers were kept in check by the Arunachal defenders who put up a doughty display and did not provide much leeway for the rival forwards in the first half. But, after the change of ends, Maharashtra came into their own and dominated play for long spells and earned a penalty in the 49th minute which was successfully converted by Valencia to open the scoring.

Thereafter, Maharashtra wasted a couple of chances before Karen got the first of her three goals to double the lead in the 73rd minute. Three minutes later the dashing Mumbai striker, who displayed impressive scoring form, once again hit the target to widen the lead 3-0. Later, Valencia scored her second in the 79th minute and then Gondia District striker Trupti also got on the score-sheet with Maharashtra's fifth goal in the 88th minute.

In the next minute, Karen showed excellent finishing by finding the net for the third time to complete her hat-trick and seal Maharashtra's fluent victory.

--IANS

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