MSSA U-16 Div-II PLAYOFFS: Anish 'tricks to help Army Public march into semis

Army Public's Anish Singh vies with a Don Bosco 'B' player yesterday. Pic/Suresh Karkera

Army Public School (Colaba) packed too much firepower and blasted their way past Don Bosco 'B' (Matunga) by an overwhelming 4-0 margin in a boys' U-16 Div-II quarter-final playoff of the MSSA inter-school football tournament at Azad Maidan yesterday.

Leading the Army School's charge was attacking midfielder Anish Singh, 14, who fired three goals past an inexperienced Don Bosco custodian Lavito Santimano, who was wearing the goalkeeper's gloves for the first time. Anish's teammate, Mukul Sharma chipped in with the second goal.

The Army boys played aggressively and went on the offensive right from the start and in the very second minute earned a free-kick a couple of yards outside the Don Bosco penalty area. Anish stepped over the ball and scored with a swerving effort which deflected off goalkeeper Lavito's foot and into the net. The Colaba lads did not allow their opponents from Matunga to settle down as they attacked relentlessly, and six minutes later netted the second goal.

Anish added to the Bosco boys' misery by scoring the third goal in the 16th minute. His long clearance from the centre line bounced in front of an advancing 'keeper Lavito and settled into the back of the net much to the dismay of the Bosco boys. Anish completed his hat-trick immediately after the change of ends, when he scored with a glancing header following Harsh Jain's long throw-in from the left flank in the 33rd minute.

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