Alex Ambrose-coached Lionesses put on a commanding display to beat the Panthers by a 3-0 scoreline at the Kalyani Municipal Stadium in the first-ever match of the Hero U-17 Women’s Championship on Monday. The Lionesses raced to a 2-0 lead in the first-half courtesy an own goal and a Lynda Kom Serto strike. Priyanka Sujeesh Pottekka bagged the third in the second half.

• An own goal in the 17^th minute and a 35^th minute Lynda Kom Serto goal gave the Lionesses a two-goal lead after the first-half.
• Priyanka Sujeesh Pottekka made it 3-0 for the Lionesses in the 73^rd

Both sides showed plenty of intent going forward and the first big chance of the match went to Ambrose’s Lionesses in the 7^th minute. Sunita Munda drove inside the box and tried to beat Panthers’ custodian Anjali Barke. Her shot was agonizingly wide but presented Sumati Kumari with an opportunity to follow up. The angle, however, was too tight for the striker to turn the ball into the goal.

As the match progressed, the Lionesses slowly asserted their authority on the game with Sunita, in the right flank, and midfielder Kiran playing pivotal roles. The former also proved key to providing the opening goal of the match after she made some space for herself and fizzed in a tricky cross inside the Panthers’ box. The ball took an unfortunate deflection off Panthers’ captain Sudha Tirkey and wrongfooted the goalkeeper. The scoreline read 1-0 in the Lionesses’ favour leading into the 17^th minute.

The Lionesses could have doubled their lead in the 26^th minute following a nifty one-two that set Priyanka Sujeesh through on goal. The midfielder tried a cheeky chip over the goalkeeper, but Anjali was equal to the task. Babina Devi Lisham, who was involved in the build-up, had a chance to turn the ball in on the follow up but Sudha made a crucial block to deny her.

Ambrose’s charges, however, did find their second goal in the 35^th minute. Priyanka Sujeesh showcased some nimble footwork on the byline before setting up Lynda for an easy finish. The Lionesses kept pressing for a third but some resolute defending by the Panthers kept them at bay till the half-time whistle.

Determination level 💯 from Lionesses striker Priyanka.

Catch the Hero U-17 Women's Championship on @hotstartweets - https:/t.co/XCfYzktC5H#GroundsKnowNoGender pic.twitter.com/qWREDtAhAx

— Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) November 11, 2019

Panthers’ goalkeeper Anjali was busy in the opening period of the second-half, with the Lionesses exhibiting some exquisite passing football. Lynda came close to doubling her tally for the night in the 66^th minute but her drive from just inside the box was saved by Anjali.

Despite the possessional dominance of the Lionesses in the second-half, Subhash Chakraborty’s Panthers showed their mettle and got stuck in to provide good competition. The resistance was finally broken after Priyanka Sujeesh side-footed in to finish off an intricate passing move in the 73^rd minute. The scoreline remained the same till the final whistle as the match ended 3-0 in the Lionesses’ favour.