Srinagar- J&K senior men’s football team defeated Himachal Pradesh 4-1 on Friday in a Group A match of the 78th Men’s Senior National Football Championship 2024-25 (Santosh Trophy) at GNDU Sports Complex in Amritsar, Punjab. This was the Mehrajudin Wadoo-coached squad’s second win in a row in the national championship after beating hosts Punjab 1-0 in the opener.
The win against Punjab came on the back of a brilliant performance from Adnan Ayub, who scored the lone goal of the game in the 50th minute. Adnan continued his excellent form against Himachal Pradesh to earn his second player of the match award in as many games.
Huzafah Ahmad Dar scored the opening goal on Friday, finding the back of the net in minute 22. An own goal by HP defender Vishal Dogra in minute 25 made it 2-0. J&K completed the rout by going 3-0 in added time of the first half, as striker Akif Reshi took his chance with aplomb.
The second half saw central defender Vishal Dogra amend for his earlier error in minute 50 to pull one back for Himachal Pradesh. However, J&K midfielder Sahil Rashid Dar thwarted any attempt of a comeback by making it 4-1 in minute 72.
Per SportsKPI, J&K boasted a 66% possession in the game, compared to HP’s 34%. The team also had more shots (16), shots on target (8) and corner (7). The HP goalkeeper made three saves in the game, showcasing the dominance J&K showed in the matchup.
The Jammu & Kashmir Football Association applauded the J&K team for its win and praised the players, coaches and management for the win.
“A special thanks to the J&K Sports Council for providing top-notch facilities and unwavering support, which have been pivotal in the team’s success,” the FA added.
J&K will next take on Ladakh for their Game 3 of the national championship on November 24. Ladakh will enter the game after drawing 1-1 against hosts Punjab on Friday. Mohmad Ilyas scored the equalising goal for Ladakh. They beat Himachal Pradesh 2-1 in the opener and will prove to be a tough challenge for J&K.
J&K Playing XI:
21 Nirdosh, 3 Arun, 12 Farhan, 19 Ather, 23 Dimple, 25 Musaib, 5 Shahmeer, 6 Aakif, 9 Moomin, 11 Adnan, 14 Huzafah
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