Aakarsh Gubbi’s solitary goal helps Aditya Birla World Academy (Tardeo) clinch their maiden U-16 title with 1-0 win over Jamnabai Narsee (Juhu)
The Aditya Birla World Academy team with the MSSA U-16 Division-II winner’s trophy at Bandra on Friday. Pic/Nimesh Dave
Aakarsh Gubbi’s solitary goal helped Aditya Birla World Academy (Tardeo) win their first ever boys U-16 Division-II Mumbai School Sports Association (MSSA) inter-school football title, as they beat Jamnabai Narsee (Juhu) 1-0 at the Wings Sports Centre, Bandra, on Friday.
The Tardeo outfit also earned a promotion to the prestigious Division-I next year by reaching this final. Aditya Birla began the match by offering glimpses of their attacking intent as they enjoyed longer spells of possession, probing patiently for openings. However, Jamnabai’s compact defence, marshalled effectively by Taikhoom Kagalwala, ensured the scoreboard stayed 0-0 till half-time.
After the break, the balance of play shifted. Jamnabai looked fresher, began dictating terms in the midfield, and pushed the Aditya Birla backline deep into their own half. However, it was the Tardeo school that opened the scoring through a counter-attack in the 37th minute. Sunoy Basu, cutting in smartly from the left flank, spotted an opening and played an accurate pass into the box which Aakarsh tapped in. Thereafter, Aditya Birla displayed admirable grit to survive Jamnabai’s late charge and hold firm until the final whistle.
For Aditya Birla coach, Marcellus John, the triumph reflected the hard work put in by his team. “I am proud of the boys. Playing three days in a row on this turf [quarter-final, semi-final and final] can wear you down, but they pushed through and kept their spirit alive,” said Marcellus. Jamnabai coach Siddesh Birajdar lamented his side’s inability to convert the chances that came their way. In the third place Play-off match, Thakur Public School (Kandivli) beat St Lawrence High School (Borivli) 2-0. Arnav Singh and Arsh Shetty found the net for the victors.
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