Team FAST were up against a tough opponent in DFA and needed to keep their focus up throughout the match. Although they started the game rather slow, probably due to the extreme heat, the team eventually started to find their rhythm and as usual picked up the ball from their opponents and started moving it around which has now been their style of play throughout the season. In contrast, DFA's game plan was to take shots from distance and hope to get something out of it, however, nothing materialized as their shots were either off target or taken care of by goalkeeper Shivika.
The girls played a patient game and continued to dominate in possession leaving their opponents chasing for the ball. 5 minutes into the game and the team started to settle down and began testing the opponents goalkeeper with long range efforts from Nyesha, Alisha and Harshini but were unsuccessful in finding the target. A tactical change made by the coaches bringing in Anuja for Nyesha and Vedika for Kiara and switching Harshini to defence and the team started making in roads into the opponents defence, however, they were still unable to get that first goal.
The teams looked like they were heading into the break with the scores levelled at 0-0 but Anuja wasn't having any of it and started pressing the defence into making errors and finally broke the deadlock in the 9th minute with the help of Vedika who worked her way down the right flank and made a low cross for Anuja to tap it in. GOAL 1-0. The two of them continued to press the defence and their efforts paid off after a shot from Harshini was stopped by a defender who was too slow to react from Anuja's press eventually winning the ball back and tapping in another goal yet again from a pass from Vedika. Score 2-0. DFA made little effort to get back into the game and any attempt was easily taken care of by FAST defence.
The second half began a bit shaky from team FAST, a missed pass from Nyesha was picked up by a DFA forward who's shot hit the pole and scrambled out for a side kick. A few nervous moments was turned around quickly and Anuja came close to scoring a third of the game when the DFA defender lost control of the ball just outside the keepers box in which Anuja was quick to react but her shot was saved from close range by the keeper. Anuja came close again when a neatly timed through ball from Harshini left Anuja 1v1 with the keeper but that too was saved. FAST kept pushing for their 3rd goal of the game with a wave of attacks through Vedika and Yana but were somehow denied by the DFA keeper who was still keeping them in the game. However, that didn't last long when Harshini picked up a pass from Nyesha and beat the last defender to go 1v1 with the keeper and made no mistake in placing the ball in the bottom corner of the goal. That goal surely broke DFA's spirit and any chance of a comeback.
The team continued to dominate possession and kept attacking with some purpose as if 3-0 wasn't enough for them. They were hungry for more and found their 4th goal of the game with a pass from Harshini to Alisha who took a shot from distance which hit the pole, hit the keeper and found its way in the net. With the final minutes left in the game, the team were still pushing for 1 more goal and surely got it through Harshini off a poor clearance from the DFA keeper who was left to pick up the ball from the back of the net yet again. The final whistle was blown soon after that with the team cruising into the finals with a hard fought victory over a tough opponent.
Finals will be against CFCI on Sunday who are a lively team and team FAST will have to pull their socks up for this one. Final game of the season, can FAST make it across the finish line in style ???
Goal scorers: Anuja - 2 Harshini - 2 Alisha - 1
Assists: Vedika - 2 Nyesha - 1 Harshini - 1
Star of the match:- Anuja.
