Indian women's football team put up a spirited fight but could not avoid its second consecutive loss, going down 1-2 to Chinese Taipei in a group D encounter of the AFC Women's Asian Cup (Qualifiers) at the Faisal Al Huseni Stadium here.
The Indian eves desperately needed a win in the match to stay in the hunt for a place in the AFC Cup but their dreams were dealt a blow despite playing some admirable football thoroughly enjoyed by locals.
Yu Hsiu Chin (43rd minute) and Lai Li Chin (81st minute) scored for Taipei while Sasmita Malik gave India their only goal in the 53rd minute.
The result put Chinese Taipei at six points from two matches while India, inspite of spirited displays, remain without a point.
If the twice SAFF Champions won the tactical battle in the first half, they were by far the better side in the second period.
Head Coach Anadi Barua's ploy of playing deep and attacking on the counter paid off as Chinese Taipei, which scored six goals against Palestine in their opening game, were bottled up by India's defence for most part of the first essay.
The second half belonged to India and especially Sasmita Malik whose world-class free kick in the 53rd minute left the motley crowd on a pleasant evening in Palestine awestruck.
India started the better team in the opening exchanges and Taipei were allowed virtually no space in the danger zone.
Sweeper back Ashalata Devi's alacrity came to the fore time and again. Her crucial block in the 8th minute kept Hsiu Chin's powerful right-footer at bay.
