Bengaluru: Sports Odisha lost their first away game of the season of IWL 23-24 as they were downed by Kickstart FC, 2-1, at the Bangalore Football Stadium in Karnataka. A brace from Karishma (13’,33’) ensured victory for the home team while Kumari (27’) was the sole goal scorer for Sports Odisha. With the day’s result, Sports Odisha are yet to register points in their campaign, while Kickstart FC remain undefeated with nine points in three matches.
Sports Odisha had a challenging first half with Kickstart FC holding the lion’s share of possession. While Sports Odisha did look threatening in the first ten minutes, exploiting both flanks and servicing the box, their momentum stuttered when Kickstart FC took the lead in the 12th minute. On a quick breakaway, Kickstart’s Karishma burst through the Odisha defence to slot the ball in the back of net. In pursuit of the equalizer, Sports Odisha were awarded a penalty in the 26th minute, that was successfully converted by Kumari to make it 1-1. In the 32nd minute, Karishma doubled her tally for the day, heading the ball to make it 2-1 in Favour of Kickstart FC.
The second half saw no change to the scoreline. Sports Odisha was resolute in their defence, restricting Kickstart FC’s chances in front of goal, and improving their possession. However, Sports Odisha’s five shots on goals were unable to find the equalizer. While chance creation and finishing remain a challenge for Sports Odisha, they walked away with many positives against a very experienced Kickstart FC squad.
