Bhubaneswar, Feb 4 (PTI) Title contenders Odisha FC bagged three points with consummate ease when they brushed aside city-mates Sports Odisha 3-1 in the Indian Women's League football here on Sunday.

The winners led 2-0 at half-time with goals from Lynda Kom (8') and Win Theingi Tun (45+3'). Tun scored her second in the 50th minute.

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Sports Odisha scored pulled one back through Manisha Naik in the 67th minute.

On paper, the match was deemed the Odisha Derby.

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But in reality, it was a total mismatch as the top-ranked team in the league table were pitted against a side struggling to avoid finishing at the bottom.

Odisha FC moved to the top of the chart with 19 points from seven matches, while Sports Odisha continued to be at the bottom having collected only two points from eight outings.

In the first meeting between the two teams in the IWL in December, Odisha FC won 4-0.

With as many as nine internationals in their ranks, Odisha FC were the superior side and exhibited this on every part of the pitch.

After a few challenge-free runs through both flanks, the winners opened their scoring when Indumathi Kathiresan ran down the left to cross the ball in the six-yard box.

Lynda Kom, who was following the movement, was left unchallenged and it made her task of pushing the ball in easier.

That Odisha FC had to wait until the add-on time of the first session to score their second goal was a surprise because their dominance in the match was so complete. Sports Odisha, in contrast, could hardly make a decent movement into the rival area.

Odisha FC goalkeeper Shreya Hooda never had to collect the ball, leave alone making a serious save.

But then, Sports Odisha should get credit for breaching the mighty defence of Odisha FC in the second half, when Manisha Naik reduced the margin for the losers.

This was only the second goal scored against Odisha FC in the entire campaign.

In fact, in the last half an hour, Sports Odisha looked a far more vibrant side and forced the opposing defenders to take them more seriously.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)