Pip Utpal Sanghvi in tie-breaker to clinch MSSA U-16 title, gain promotion to Division I.
Just two days after producing a match-winning performance for his school, St Joseph’s, Wadala, to take them to the final, Zenon Aglem starred yet again in his team’s win and helped them claim the title after 10 years in the under-16 (division 2) category of the MSSA inter-school tournament held at Azad Maidan on Thursday.
His defending and goalkeeping skills (during the shootout) helped Joseph’s beat Utpal Sanghvi, Juhu, 4-2 via the tie-breaker after the game was locked 1-1 at the end of regulation time.
Mohanty Roshan gave the Josephites an early lead in the first half, dodging Sanghvi’s defence and shooting to find the back of the net. Sanghvi struggled to wrest control of the proceedings and had to play a defensive game.
The second half was action-packed with both teams fighting hard and trying their best to claim the title. The Juhu school breathed a sigh of relief when their forward Tabish Ansari scored the equaliser with a header. Sanghvi looked a changed side in the latter half and they could have wrapped up the game if not for the two missed chances by Abhishek Degadwala.
Zenon took over as the goalkeeper from Bhavya Gala during the shootout. Joseph’s needed just four attempts to seal the game. Harsh Gala, Mohanty Roshan and Salman Patel successfully scored for Joseph’s whereas only Tabish managed to convert for Sanghvi, thanks to excellent goalkeeping by Zenon. Joseph’s coach, Avinash was on top of the world as his team had qualified for the first time ever to play in the first division. “For the past three to four years we have been playing in the 2nd division. Last year we lost out in the quarterfinals. All credit to the boys for helping our school get promoted to the first division,” he said.
When asked about their performance in the final, he said, “Our boys were determined to win and they didn’t lose their nerve till the very end of the game. The game getting decided through penalties was an added advantage for us as we have brilliant penalty strikers in Mohanty and Harsh. Our goalie Zenon is the best one can ask for. So the tie-breaker was actually a blessing in disguise for us to win the title.”
Results: Under-16 (Div 2) Winners: St Joseph’s, Wadala
1st Runners-up: Utpal Sanghvi, Juhu 2nd Runners-up: St Mary’s ICSE, Mazagaon
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