India thrash Bhutan 8-0 in SAFF U17 Women's Championships

Thimphu, Aug 24 (PTI) Anuskha Kumari scored a hat-trick as India thrashed hosts Bhutan 8–0 for their third consecutive win at the SAFF U17 Women’s Championships here on Sunday.

Besides Kumari’s (53rd, 61st, 73rd) stellar performance, Abhista Basnett (23rd, 89th) scored a brace while Pearl Fernandes (71st), Divyani Linda (77th), and Valaina Jada Fernandes (90+2) were on target. India led 1-0 at half-time.

With this dominant result, the Young Tigresses have now scored 17 goals in three matches without conceding once, tightening their grip on top spot in the table and edging closer to the trophy.

India now have nine points from three matches, ahead of Bangladesh and Nepal, who have three points each.

Bhutan, still without a point, were simply overwhelmed by a side firing on all cylinders.

India wasted no time asserting themselves. In just the fifth minute, Shveta Rani’s curling corner from the left nearly swung in directly, but Bhutan’s alert goalkeeper Kelzang Wangmo collected it safely.

Minutes later, Divyani Linda burst down the right wing and fired in a teasing low cross which found Nira Chanu Longjam at the near post, only for Wangmo to again deny the visitors.

Shots rained in as India pushed forward relentlessly. Anuskha Kumari, Longjam, and Julan Nongmaithem all tested Wangmo, who made a string of saves that drew loud cheers from the home fans.

But Bhutan's resistance cracked in the 23rd minute. Abhista Basnett, unmarked at the near post, met another well-flighted corner from Rani and calmly slotted home to give India the lead.

After the break, India came out with greater purpose and pumped in seven more goals.

India doubled their advantage in the 53rd minute. Anuskha Kumari stepped up for a free-kick from 20 yards and unleashed a thunderbolt into the top corner, giving Wangmo no chance. It was the moment that broke Bhutan’s spirit.

In the 61st minute, Kumari added her second. Picking up a pass on the right flank, she cut inside, beat her defender with ease, and drilled a low shot into the far bottom corner.

Substitute Pearl Fernandes, barely three minutes on the pitch, tapped in the fourth goal for India in the 71st minute after Linda’s dangerous cross skipped past Wangmo at the far post.

Two minutes later, Kumari completed her hat-trick as she capitalised on a defensive error to unleash another powerful strike from inside the area.

With the scoreline already emphatic, Divyani Linda added her name to the list of scorers in the 77th minute, collecting a pass on the overlap and rifling a shot past the weary Bhutan keeper.

In the 89th, Basnett completed her brace with a long-range effort. Wangmo failed to gather cleanly and the ball trickled over the line.

The final goal came with substitute Valaina Jada Fernandes firing home from 20 yards in stoppage time, making it eight for India. PTI PDS PDS ATK