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Vincent’s ‘B’ leave Loyola in their wake to claim home league football title
Vincent’s ‘B’ bags a win against Vidya Valley by the slenderest of margins.
PUNE A win on the final day of the St Vincent’s Junior inter-school league for St Vincent’s ‘B’ has propelled them four points clear of Loyola High School at the top of the table, to claim the title of league winners.
Vincent’s ‘B’ bagged a win against Vidya Valley by the slenderest of margins on Friday, after Nathan D’Souza scored with a splendid header in the second half.
While the ‘B’ team clinched the title in their own backyard, undefeated throughout the tournament, the struggle for Vincent’s ‘A’ continued till the last day of the league, Saturday, as they played out a goalless draw against Orbis School and then, lost 3-0 against Kalyani School, to finish ninth in the league.
In the other games on the final day, Loyola confirmed their second-place finish after a convincing 2-0 win over Vidya Bhavan.
Vedant Gupta and Darsh Kasat were on the scoresheet.
St Arnold’s smashed three past Hutchings and kept a clean sheet, as Hutchings conceded five goals, and scored none, in two games.
The last match of the tournament was a goal-fest as Vidyankur smashed five goals past a hapless Orbis.
Rehan Bhatia’s hattrick not only assured Vidyankur of a third-spot finish, but also confirmed Bhatia as the tournament’s top goalscorer with eight goals.
In league with the coaches
After the Vincent’s League concluded, coaches were evidently happy with the organisation and execution of the league.
Several coaches who were present at the venue specified that the tournament helped the young players a lot and playing only on the weekends allowed them to play without the fear of missing out on school.
“It was a well organised and a great platform for the under-12 boys to showcase their skills,” said Brenton Antao, coach, St Arnold’s High School.
The coaches were happy to see no compromises made just because it was under-12.
Wilson Andrews, coach of St Vincent’s, organisers of the tournament, defended the idea of a league tournament.
“There is no point in playing a knock-out tournament from the start. Half of the teams are eliminated on the first day itself. It does not give the players a chance to contemplate or understand gameplay. Following a league format helps them play every weekend without the fear of being eliminated and gives them a chance to improve after every game.”
Loyola High School coach Benedict Rodrigues, said, “There were 10 teams and each team played nine games. Another advantage was the fact that it was exclusively on weekends which also encouraged several parents to come and watch their kids play.”
Vidya Bhavan coach Rakesh Walhekar spoke of switching from mud to grass requiring time.
“We play on a mud ground and Vincent’s have grass, so it took a few games for the boys to get comfortable and confident on the pitch. Thanks to the league format, nothing was rushed,” said Walhekar.
Senior students refereeing?
No Pune District Football Association (PDFA) referees officiated the tournament.
Players from the senior football team of Vincent’s and Loyola’s referees all the games.
“They know the game well and this is not a professional district level tournament. They did a great job throughout the tournament and barring a couple of moments where one or two coaches were unhappy with the decision that was made, everything went well,” said Wilson Andrews, coach of St Vincent’s, organisers of the tournament
Refereeing for the first time, 16-year-old Lakshya Harpalani, who plays for the Vincent’s U-17 team, said, “It was a little challenging but exciting at the same time. We had experienced coaches around us in case we fumbled anywhere.”
Match winner
“It was a wonderful match for me and that goal was my first goal of the tournament. I hope to play more often and score more goals in the future,” said Nathan D’Souza, St. Vincent’s High School ‘B’.
