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FC Kolhapur City win thriller against Baroda FA with last-gasp winner

Indian Women's League (IWL) match action between FC Kolhapur City and Baroda Football Academy. (Photo courtesy: AIFF Media)
Indian Women's League (IWL) match action between FC Kolhapur City and Baroda Football Academy. Photo courtesy: AIFF Media

FC Kolhapur City came back from two goals down to beat Baroda Football Academy in an absolute thriller of a Western Derby that ended with the former winning 4-3 at the Guru Nanak Stadium in Ludhiana on Monday, May 6, 2019.

Kolhapur forward Kashmina was the star of the show, as she scored two goals on either side of the half-time break. These goals were crucial as they came at a time when Kolhapur were 0-2 down against Baroda.

It was Kolhapur, who started off with a higher tempo, but Baroda got the break against the run of play.

Baroda, who relied more on the counter, hooved it up field, and the inability of the Kolhapur defence to deal with the aerial ball led to the first goal. The ball bounced inside the Kolhapur area, and defender Ayomide Awawu Anibaba looped her header over the keeper and into the net for an own goal.

What looked like a setback, soon turned into a nightmare for Kolhapur, as Baroda left winger Mona soared into the Kolhapur box, cut inside and fired it home.

However, Kashima gave Kolhapur some home just before the half-time whistle, as she took full advantage of a fumble by Baroda keeper Pinky Darji, to score into an empty net.

Kolhapur came out all guns blazing in the second half, and it was Kashima again, who scored to put the side from Maharashtra on level terms. She was played into the box, as she made an angled run from the right and slipped it past the Darji to score.

The match came to a frantic end, as Kolhapur and Baroda substitutes, Pratiksha and Heta Shukla scored for their respective sides in the space of two minutes, before Kamala Devi finally made it 4-3 for the Maharashtra side on the third minute of injury time.

(AIFF Media)