Kamala Devi struck a last-gasp goal as Kolhapur City came back from two goals down to beat Baroda Football Academy 4-3 at the Guru Nanak Stadium here on Monday.
Kamala scored the match winner in the injury time (90+3 minute) to give FC Kolhapur three points in a thrilling match. Kashmina scored two goals -- in the 45th and 62nd minutes -- while Pratiksha Mithari also found the target for Kolhapur in the 88th minute.
For the Baroda side, an own goal from Kolhapur defender Ayomide Awawu Anibaba in the 28th minute gave them the lead before Mona (35th) and Heta Shukla (89th) found the target.
It was Kolhapur who started as a batter side but Baroda got the break against the run of play.
Baroda relied more on the counter and the inability of the Kolhapur defence to deal with an aerial ball led to the first goal. The ball bounced inside the Kolhapur area, and defender Ayomide Awawu Anibaba looped her header over the keeper and into the net for an own goal.
Baroda then punished Kolhapur further for the lapse. Left winger Mona soared into the Kolhapur box, cut inside and fired it home to give her side a 2-0 lead.
However, Kashima gave Kolhapur some hope just before the half-time whistle, as she took full advantage of a fumble by Baroda keeper Pinky Darji to put the ball into an empty net.
Kolhapur came out all guns blazing in the second half, and it was Kashima again who scored to put the side from Maharashtra on level terms. She was played into the box, as she made an angled run from the right and slipped it past the Darji to score.
The match came to a frenetic end, as Kolhapur and Baroda substitutes Pratiksha and Heta Shukla scored for their respective sides in the space of two minutes, before Kamala Devi finally made it 4-3 for the Maharashtra side on the third minute of injury time.
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