IWL: East Bengal edge past HOPS FC, Sribhumi FC triumph in freshers' battle

The Indian Women’s League 2024-25 witnessed two gripping encounters on Thursday, with East Bengal securing a narrow win over HOPS FC in the capital, while Sribhumi FC claimed victory against Nita FA in Bhubaneswar.

East Bengal grinds out win over HOPS FC

HOPS FC 0 - 1 East Bengal FC (Soumya Guguloth 40’)

East Bengal shrugged off their previous defeat to return to winning ways with a 1-0 victory against HOPS FC.

The win kept them at the top of the table with 15 points from six matches, while HOPS FC continued to struggle at the bottom with just one point from a draw against Kickstart FC.

Despite the disparity in league standings, the match was far from a one-sided affair.

Both teams lacked fluency, with East Bengal finding it difficult to break down a resolute HOPS FC defense.

The deadlock was broken in the 40th minute when Soumya Guguloth capitalized on a goalkeeping error to score the only goal of the match. Her side volley took an awkward bounce before trickling past HOPS goalkeeper Jyoti Tumung, who failed to collect cleanly.

The second half saw East Bengal dominating possession and creating multiple chances, but poor finishing and resolute defending from HOPS kept the margin of defeat minimal.

Despite their control, East Bengal lacked their usual sharpness, with multiple shots striking the post or flying over the crossbar.

Sribhumi FC prevail in freshers’ clash against Nita FA

Nita FA 1 (Rahama Jafaru 62’) - 2 Sribhumi FC (Bala Devi 11’, 25’)

Sribhumi FC secured an important 2-1 win over fellow IWL newcomers Nita FA, thanks to a brace from experienced striker Ngangom Bala Devi.

The victory helped Sribhumi close the gap to just one point behind their opponents in the league standings.

Nita FA started strong, with Rahama Jafaru coming close in the ninth minute, but it was Bala Devi who took charge.

The India international broke the deadlock in the 11th minute with a composed finish past the goalkeeper after dribbling past a defender. She doubled her tally in the 25th minute with an intelligent chip over the keeper.

Nita FA pushed hard in the second half and were rewarded when Jafaru slotted home in the 62nd minute.

They continued to create chances, with Kamala Devi missing a golden opportunity in stoppage time to equalize. However, Sribhumi held on to take all three points.