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Minerva Punjab FC beat RoundGlass Sports with a 4-1 scoreline to qualify for the Hero Junior League Nationals as Punjab Zone’s Champions with a 100% win record.
Minerva Punjab FC, having already qualified for the nationals, played their last match of the group stage against RoundGlass Sports at the Minerva Academy Ground. Minerva Punjab FC were without four of their players who are in National Team duty with India and gave rest to some of the regulars.
Minerva Punjab FC, as usual, started attacking from the starting minute and kept building the pressure. RoundGlass Sports held on till 28th minute when Aphaoba found the back of the net with a neatly taken shot inside the box. Just few minutes after the first goal, Minerva Punjab FC’s constant pressing led to an own goal by the opponents in the 34th minute. Just when RoundGlass Sports thought the half was about the end, Samson struck with a stunning finish in the 43th minute.
The first half ended with a score of 3-0.
The second half kicked off with RoundGlass Sports looking to restrict Minerva Punjab FC from increasing the lead. However, Minerva Punjab FC kept on dominating the midfield and in 53rd minute got a goal from
Sadananda’s long range effort to take the score to 4-0.
In 76th minute RoundGlass Sports pulled one off by Lalrinhula’s free header from a corner kick against the run of the play. RoundGlass Sports did get a consolatory goal but it was too little too late for Round Glass as the game finished with 4-1 in favour of Minerva Punjab FC.
With this victory, Minerva Punjab FC qualified to the National round as table toppers of the Punjab Zone with 18 points from six matches by winning all six matches. Minerva Punjab FC scored 25 goals in these six matches and conceded only one.
This is the fourth edition of the Hero Junior League and Minerva Punjab FC are into the nationals for the fourth consecutive time, having won all of the previous three editions.
Minerva Punjab FC will travel to Kolkata for the National Round of the Hero Junior League where they will face Stadium Sports Foundation (Bengaluru), Birachandra Memorial Sports Club (Manipur) and one of the teams that qualifies from the playoff round.
