Eastern Sporting, Rising Students in IWL final

Eastern Sporting Union (ESU) and Rising Students Club entered the final of inaugural Indian Womens League (IWL) football championship after posting victories over Alakhpura FC (4-1) and FC Pune City (2-0) in the semi-finals here on Saturday.

Kamala Devi's hat-trick (39th, 84th, 90th minutes) and a strike from Kashmina (11th) powered Eastern Sporting Union to the final. Alakhpura pulled a goal back through Sanju in the 60th minute.

In the other semi-final at the Ambedkar Stadium, goals from AIFF Player of the Year 2016 Sasmita Malik (30th) and AIFF Player of the Year 2015 Pyari Xaxa (65th) led Rising Students to a hard fought win over Pune City.

In the match between Eastern Sporting and Alakhpura, although end-to-end action ensued in the opening minutes of the match, it was the north-eastern outfit which had the better opportunities.

The full-time scoreline read 4-1 in ESU's favour .In the other match, Cuttack-based Rising Students started as the favourites and proved the tag as they attacked from the whistle and the goal came for Rising Students in the 30th minute and in a bizarre fashion when Sasmita's corner kick hit the woodwork and went in to

give Rising Students a solitary goal lead.

Pune City tried to break the deadlock but failed to create anything substantial.The final of the tournament will be on Tuesday.