Erode storms into final

DINDIGUL, MAY 15. Erode, last year's runner-up, stormed into the final of the 24th Tamil Nadu State junior inter-district football championship for T. P. Ramasamy Pillai Trophy defeating the host, Dindigul 5-4 via tie-breaker at St. Mary's Higher Secondary School ground here on Tuesday evening. At the regulation time, the teams were level 2- 2. Erode was trailing 1-2 at the interval.

Dindigul took a 2-0 lead within 34 minutes and it was a pity that it conceded a goal in the last seconds of the first half and the second in the dying minute. However, the spirited fight back by the Erode boys in the to be commended.

Dindigul, with the encouragement of the local crowd dictated terms right from the start and took the lead in the 31st minute, when Madhavan volleyed home off a throw-in by Axiano. In the next three minutes Axiano connected a fine cross by Arumugam for a 2-0 lead.

Undaunted by these reverses, Erode Boys put up a spirited fight and reduced the margin seconds before half time, when Ramesh headed home off a flaky kick taken by Dhandapani.

On resumption, though Erode boys were trying hard for the equaliser, the local team put up a stout defence. However the concerted efforts of the Erode Boys bore fruit in the dying minute, when Narayanan lobbed the ball over Dindigul goalkeeper Prakash off a free kick taken by Ismail, to the utter disappointment of the local team and the crowd.

In the tie-breaker, Deepak Kumar, Sridhar and Porpatham scored for Erode and Axiano and Senthilkumar only succeeded for Dindigul.

In another match, Kanchipuram posted a thumping 4-0 victory over Tuticorin to enter the quarterfinals.

Gunaseelan, George Robert, Benitto and Gunaseelan scored.

Earlier in the morning, Tirunelveli trounced Namakkal 6-0 in a first round one sided match. Tirunelveli, which led 5-0 at the interval, could have won by a bigger margin but for taking things easily in the second session.

Left stopper Suresh scored a brace and the other four goals were scored by striker Thiruchelvan, outside-right Ferozkhan, right half Manoj and Striker Subbiah.

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Section  : Sport
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