Hmar Veng High School miss chances as Chandigarh GMHS-36 win Subroto Cup 5-3 on penalties With all the squandering that Hmar Veng High School,Mizoram did on the field including a penalty in extra time after being locked 1-1 in the regulation time it seemed Chandigarh school GMHS-36,was destined to win the Subroto Cup after going down to a golden goal strike in the final last year. This time once the game approached the penalty shootout stage,it was Chandigarh who won 5-3. With the triumph,a north Indian side has won the sub-junior category in the Subroto Cup for the first time. The win entirely projects the standard of Chandigarh football. One can easily see how Chandigarh has progressed so far. I am proud of my team. Our plan was to restrict Mizoram during playing time and had decided to keep the ball possession. It worked out as it provided us with openings which put pressure on the opponents. I knew if we manage to survive till the penalties,the game belonged to us, said Chandigarh coach Harjinder Singh who was also named the best coach of the tournament. Mizoram had been undefeated until the final. And if their midfielder Malsawmkima had not made two costly misses from the penalty spot the first in extra time and then decisively during the shootoutsthat unbeaten streak might have lasted a match longer. Nevertheless they promised a close contest giving the crowd a hot topic to express opinions. Chandigarh banked on their striker Samuel who displayed skilled football throughout as they knew cashing chances will be the deciding factor against the tough skinned Mizos. Although the first half missed goals,but the teams ensured that the crowd witnessed an intense competition. Having changed ends,Mizos stepped on the gas and for the first time,it seemed that Chandigarh struggled to match their agility and speed. They soon delivered the first blow in the 49th minute when Lalchawisanga slammed a screamer from 40 yards straight into the Chandigarh goal. The dipping ball completely flummoxed Chandigarh keeper Mawia and left him only with the task of fetching the ball from the back of the net. But luckily for Chandigarh,Samuel reversed the script by footing the equaliser in a goal mouth melee just two minutes later. I cant tell you how happy I was after scoring that goal. Since it is my last year in the U-14 category,the onus was on me to score. It feels happy to know that my goal proved crucial in carving a win for Chandigarh, added Samuel who also scored the winning goal in the penalties. Once the final whistle indicated an equal score,it must have come as a respite for Chandigarh as they had time to change their tactics. But their plan to strenghthen the defence worked against as Malsawmkima was obstructed inside the box by an advancing Mawia. Luckily for Chandigarh, the guy whom Mizoram trusted to be their match winner,took a wayward aim to nullify the advantage. It was our day. Simply. We were in the finals last year,and despite playing end to end football a last minute goal put an end to our campaign. I would say this time our hard work paid off, explains Harjinder Singh. Moments before Samuel hit the winning mark,Mawia was again shouldered with the responsibility of defending the Mizoram penalties. Mawia who had earlier been outstanding in the match,delivered a similar form and saved the third shot by diving to his left. Earlier,Mizoram once again showed confidence in Malsawmkima. Once again the happless Mizo fired wide to trigger celebrations in the Chandigarh camp. It was a similar situation that I faced in the quarterfinals. I was confident that any shot within my range would be blocked. I thank the almighty to have graced me to make a valuable contribution during my last year, said Mawia who lay flat on the ground after blocking the Mizo strike.
