Kickstart brush aside former champions Sethu, Madurai to cruise into the IWL final

 Kickstart FC Media 

Kickstart FC secured their place in the final of the Indian Women's League after a convincing victory over former champions Sethu, Madurai in the Indian Women’s League being held at Ahmedabad. Kickstart FC dominated the first half of the match and pinned Sethu to their half for most periods and scored the two goals that mattered in the first half itself.

Before the match, Coach Langam Chaoba Devi made two changes to the line up that faced HOPS FC in the quarterfinal, bringing in Kioko Elizabeth and Oinam Babita Devi for Renuka and Sonia Marak respectively.

The match started with Kickstart FC controlling the game for most parts. Their dominance paved the way for some early chances as Dalima’s free kick in the third minute missed the goal by a whisker and Sethu, Madurai was being overrun by an enthusiastic Kickstart FC side. In the 11th minute, Banti Sharma's lobbed ball found Kioko Elizabeth, who skilfully bypassed a defender and slotted the ball between the legs of the onrushing Sethu, Madurai goalkeeper, giving Kickstart FC the lead.

The first goal provided the much-needed confidence for Kickstart FC against the former champions and then they put on a dominant show. Meanwhile, Sethu Madurai was trying hard to get into the match by scoring the equalizer. Chances fell to Kajol D’souza and Priyanka Devi as their shots hit the woodwork twice. At the other end, Nepali international Saru Limbu who has been in sublime form all through this campaign latched on to the ball and fired an incredible shot that found the back of the net, doubling Kickstart FC's lead.

The second half saw Sethu, Madurai trying to reduce the deficit, but Kickstart FC's defense held firm and thwarted their attacking threats. As the match progressed, both teams felt the effects of the demanding climate, resulting in a slower pace. Sethu, Madurai piled on the pressure in search of goals but was unsuccessful. Kickstart FC's defense, led by Captain Dalima Chhibber and Wangkhem Linthoingambi Devi, delivered an outstanding performance.

In the final, Kickstart FC will face the winners of the match between Eastern Sporting Union and Gokulam Kerala FC.

Defender Wangkhem Linthoingambi Devi of Kickstart FC was awarded the Hero of the Match title for her outstanding performance.

Kickstart beat HOPS, secure semi final spot in IWL

Kickstart FC Media 

Kickstart FC advanced to the semi-final stage of the Indian Women's League by defeating HOPS FC, Delhi with a score of 2-1 in the quarter-final match held in Ahmedabad. The opening goal was scored by Kaviya Pakkirisamy for Kickstart, but HOPS FC managed to equalize in the second half. However, substitute Kioko Elizabeth scored the winning goal in injury time, securing Kickstart FC's place in the semi-final.

Before the match, Coach Langam Chaoba Devi made one change to the line-up that won against CRPF FC in the last league stage match. Kaviya replaced Susmita Lepcha in the starting eleven.

In the first half, Kickstart FC dominated the game, keeping most of the action in HOPS FC's half. There was an early goal scare in the Kickstart FC penalty box due to a mix-up, but it was eventually cleared by the goalkeeper Maibam Linthoingambi Devi. After that, Kickstart FC put immense pressure on HOPS FC to find the opener. In the 17th minute, Sonia Mark delivered a good cross after some excellent work on the flanks. The HOPS FC goalkeeper parried it away, but it fell to Kaviya, who took a shot that deflected off the woodwork and found the back of the net. Despite taking the lead, Kickstart FC continued their pursuit of a second goal, but HOPS FC's defense held strong against all threats. In the 43rd minute, Kaviya's cross from the right flank hit the woodwork and fell to Sonia Marak, who set up Astam with a nice pass. However, Astam's shot missed the target. The first half ended with a score of 1-0 in favor of Kickstart FC, with six minutes of injury time added.

The second half started with HOPS FC intensifying their efforts to find the equalizer, putting immense pressure on Kickstart FC's defense. In the 62nd minute, they succeeded in scoring the equalizing goal through Renu Rani. Following HOPS FC's goal, Kickstart made substitutions, bringing in Babita Devi for Sonia Marak, Kioko Elizabeth for Renuka, and Susmita Lepcha for Kaviya. In the 85th minute, Saru Limbu, who had been in outstanding form during the league stages, sent a precise through ball to Bibicha Devi, who passed it on to Kioko Elizabeth. Unfortunately, her attempt was cleared off the goal line by the HOPS FC defense, averting the danger. However, in the 90+1' minute, Banti Sharma's high ball into the HOPS FC penalty box was headed in by Kioko Elizabeth, extending Kickstart FC's lead to 2-1. After taking the injury-time lead, Kickstart FC controlled the game and tried to increase their advantage, but HOPS FC's defense managed to hold on, and the final whistle blew with a score of 2-1 in favor of Kickstart FC.

In the semi-final, Kickstart FC will face the winners of the match between Sethu, Madurai, and East Bengal FC.

Captain Dalima Chhiber of Kickstart FC was awarded the Hero of the Match title for her outstanding performance.