Tura, Aug 8: A•gitok Mahari made a flying start to the 6th Inter-Mahari Men’s Football Tournament with a dominant 7-0 victory over Dawa Mahari in the opening match at the Government Boys’ Higher Secondary School (GBHSS) Playground in Chandmary, Tura, on Saturday.
Bhupen D. Marak starred for A•gitok with four goals, while Chionrik Bajaman A. Sangma struck twice and Jicobirth A. Sangma added one as A•gitok completely outclassed their opponents from start to finish.
A•gitok wasted little time in taking control of the contest. Bhupen opened the scoring in the third minute before doubling the lead in the 10th minute, putting Dawa Mahari under pressure early in the game.
Chionrik Bajaman A. Sangma added a third goal in the 30th minute to hand A•gitok a comfortable 3-0 lead at half-time.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with A•gitok continuing to dominate possession and create chances.
Chionrik completed his brace in the 36th minute before Bhupen scored his third goal in the 43rd minute. Jicobirth A. Sangma joined the scoresheet in the 47th minute, and Bhupen rounded off a superb individual performance by netting his fourth goal in the 50th minute to complete the 7-0 rout.
Dawa Mahari introduced five substitutes after the break in an attempt to change the course of the match, but they struggled to break through A•gitok’s disciplined defence. Despite creating a few opportunities, they were unable to convert any of their chances and finished the match without a goal.
The match also saw three yellow cards. Winar D. Sangma of Dawa Mahari was cautioned, while A•gitok players Charseng Ch. Marak and Bhupen D. Marak also entered the referee’s notebook.
With an emphatic opening-day victory, A•gitok Mahari have laid down an early marker in the tournament and will carry plenty of confidence into their remaining fixtures.
