Hockey | India A women beat France 2-0 in fourth match
Hockey India
The India A women’s team defeated France A by 2-0 goals in the fourth and final match of the series at Padma Shri Mohammad Shahid Synthetic Hockey Stadium, Lucknow on Wednesday. Jyoti (26') and Gagandeep Kaur (32') were the goal-scorers for hosts India in the last game of the series.
After the French side won the first Match 1-0, but India 'A' won the last three Matches 3-2, 2-0 and 2-0 to make a solid comeback. In the last of the four Matches, India 'A' Women's team produced a stunning display of attacking hockey in the first two quarters, and were rewarded in the 26th minute when 19-year-old Jyoti found herself at end of a brilliant team-move, the Forward placing the ball into the back of the net to give her team the advantage.Â
With the first quarter ending without a goal and the French team putting pressure on the hosts, India's goal in the 26th minute against the run-of-play, calmed a few nerves down as the team went into the half-time break with an important 1-0 lead.
Coach Baljeet Singh's half-time talk certainly motivated the players as they dominated in the opening few minutes of the third quarter as well. The hosts were awarded a Penalty Corner as a result, and it was 19-year-old Gagandeep Kaur who stepped up to increase India's lead to 2-0 in the 32nd minute.Â
The hosts were also rewarded for keeping a solid structure, and defending their lines well throughout the last two quarters. The French had some chances in the matches, but could not find the opening that they required to make a come-back into the match. As a result, it was the India 'A' Women's team who kept their lead intact and registered a 2-0 victory in the fourth and last Match.
