HOPS hold Kickstart FC in Bengaluru to clinch first point in IWL 2024-25 season

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], January 21 (ANI): HOPS FC scored their first point of the 2024-25 season of the Indian Women's League, as they drew 1-1 with Kickstart FC at the Bangalore Football Stadium, on Tuesday.
India international Karishma Purushottam Shirvoikar (15') had put Kickstart in the lead before a second-half strike by Gladys Amfobea (78') levelled the scores. Kickstart remains sixth in the eight-team IWL table with two points from three matches, while HOPS are a spot behind them with a point from the same number of games, a release said.
Kickstart FC had all the impetus early on, playing the duo of Karishma and Renu Rani up front. The two combined well in the opening exchanges, and the former almost opened the score, sending her effort wide.
However, the 23-year-old striker broke through on the quarter-hour mark, when she again received a through ball flicked onto her path by Renu. Karishma duly produced a far post finish.
With the half-hour mark approaching, Grace Dangmei caused some panic in the HOPS penalty area with a dangerous cross from the right, but goalkeeper Priti Sarkar came out of her line to pluck it out of the air.
Renu thought she was through on goal, minutes before the completion of regulation time in the first half when a Karishma through pass hit referee Snigdha Mondal and deflected the other way. Her shot from the resulting drop-ball yielded no significant results.
The second half was a bit more even contest, as HOPS, who were yet to score a single goal in the IWL, altered their approach in the second half, which slowly, but surely, started to pay dividends. Captain Mamta played a give-and-go with Gladys near the area, before being set through on the right. None of the HOPS attackers, however, had anticipated the positioning of the low cross.
HOPS' equaliser, and indeed their first goal of the campaign came with less than a quarter of an hour's regulation time left on the clock when Gladys was played through into the Kickstart box, which she sent into the back of the net from a rather tight angle, the release said.
The away side could very well have had the lead in injury time of the second half when Kickstart goalkeeper Priti Sarkar fumbled a regulation cross. However, defender Aruna Bag was on hand to make it clear. (ANI)