CNM School (Vile Parle) scripted history by clinching their maiden title in the Dreams Sports-Mumbai School Sports Association (MSSA) boys U-12 Division-II inter-school football tournament via a thrilling 3-2 tie-breaker win over Bombay Scottish School (Powai) at Azad Maidan on Saturday. This triumph is also their first-ever MSSA football championship title.
CNM began the match aggressively, while Bombay Scottish relied on their counter-attacking pace. However, both defences stood tall, and neither team could find the breakthrough, and the first half ended goalless.
CNM’s Parth Ramaiya who scored in regulation time as well as in the tie-breaker
After the break, CNM came out with renewed intensity and were finally rewarded in the 25th minute when Parth Ramaiya picked up a loose ball just outside the box and hammered it into the top left corner for a 1-0 lead.
However, Bombay Scottish got a lucky break late in the game when a defensive mix-up in the 37th minute saw CNM’s Medhaansh Garodia inadvertently deflect the ball into his own net, forcing the the tie-breaker.
In the penalty shootout, CNM’s composure made the difference. Parth Ramaiya and Medhaansh Garodia confidently converted their spot-kicks. For Bombay Scottish, only Joshua Senthilnathan managed to find the target.
An emotional CNM coach, Deepak Waghle, expressed immense pride in his team’s performance. “Finally, our school has a trophy. It’s been a long journey of hard work and perseverance. The boys have shown great spirit and determination throughout the tournament, and I am proud of this group for making history for our school,” Waghle told mid-day.
