Day 5: Manipur and Jharkhand seal QF berths

Pinjabati High School (Sandakhong), Manipur, scored yet another easy 5-0 win over The Cathedral & John Connon School (Mumbai) to top group A and grab their quarterfinal berth in the 57th Subroto Cup International Football Tournament here today...

In the match played at Ambedkar Stadium, the boys from Manipur showed a glimpse of what they are capable, not just in the league stage, but in the later stage of the tournament. The authoritative way in which they played against the Maharashtra side, it was a lesson for others to learn as their strikers knew how to keep relentless pressure which only aided their cause. H. Nong’s brace along with strikes from Rakesh, Th. Nani and Prenzchandra’s just sealed the fate of the Mumbai squad which had no clue to stop their rival’s surge. Utkramit High School, Jharkhand who got a walkover from Car Nicobar also qualified for the finals booking their place from Pool C. Car Nicobar despite giving their entry did not make their appearance from Day 1. Meanwhile, Bangladesh Krida Siksha Protisthan staked their strong claim with a 3-2 win over Ashoke Nagar Boys School from 24 North Parganas in pool B. If they manage another win tomorrow over TAFS, they should make the quarterfinal cut. For the Bangla side, Mohammad Rakib, Abdul Kader and Mohammad Habibur fired in a goal each while S.K. Abdul struck a brace for the losers. Joydeep Gogoi’s hat-trick, the first ever this year, helped Assam’s Betkuchi High School beat Reliance FYC from Mumbai 3-0 in a Pool A game at the NWC. While while in pool C Kerala’s MSP Higher Secondary High School (Mallapuram) overcome Madhya Pradesh’s Emerald Heights International School Indore 5-0 and Delhi’s Air Force Bal Bharti School earned their first win in pool D when they convincingly defeated Sri Lanka’s Kurenagala Defence Services School 13-0. With pool D topper Estegal from Kabul having already qualified for the quarterfinals, AFBBS win today must utmost serve as a consolation for the Delhi side, but the Mallapuram school’s win over Indore boys would give the Kerala school some satisfaction as it, the winners a couple of seasons ago, has a reputation to maintain. However, the win for the team has come too late in the tournament to undo the earlier damage. Mohammad Hanua, Vyshav (2), Vipin and R. Santosh scored for them, it was Manav, Utkarsh, Saksham, Rayad and Pratick scored with Manav striking it rich with the maximum for AFBBS. Even Joydeep’s hat-trick may well be considered only as a personal milestone as Betkuchi’s triumph at NWC would not take them any far bettering their average as Manipur’s Pinjabati High School is all at ease with four successive wins. Sikkim’s Namchi Sports Hostel downed The Air Force School (Subroto Park) 5-0 in another inconsequential match with Sairose Chetteri contributing three goals while P. Yanzen and substitute S. Guruang finishing it in style. [KH_RELATED_NEWS title="Related News"][/KH_RELATED_NEWS]