Karnataka and U.P. enter pre-quarterfinals

By M.R. Praveen Chandran

CHALAKUDY, APRIL 5. A rampant Karnataka and a subdued Uttar Pradesh chose contrasting paths to enter the pre-quarterfinals of the 56th National football championship for the Santosh Trophy at the Carmel Stadium here on Wednesday.

While Karnataka scored a runaway 10-2 win over Jammu and Kashmir in Cluster VI, Uttar Pradesh held Madhya Pradesh to a goalless draw to advance from Cluster V.

The highlight of the Karnataka-J&K encounter was a four goal blitz by striker Peter (26th, 47th, 62nd and 81st minutes). Peter also accounted for the first hat-trick in the championship.

Karnataka will meet Uttar Pradesh in the pre- quarterfinals.

J&K was no worthy opponent for a settled side like Karnataka, but it enjoyed its moments of glory in the match. It did not take much time for Karnataka to strike a rhythm against its rival whose vulnerable defence and a nervous goalkeeper Shabit Hussain made the workload of the Karnataka strikers easier.

However, Karnataka had to pay the price of being complacent as it let in two needless goals to bolt its copy book. To its credit, J&K, despite its limitations, managed to give a few uncomfortable moments to its opponent.

Karnataka started on a rousing not, finding the target in the second minute of play. R.C. Prakash started the deluge when he bulged the net with a rasping shot after collecting the ball pushed to him by Sunil Kumar. But it took Karnataka a further 20 minutes to increase its lead and the goal was scored by J. Murali whose curling right footer from top of the box brooked no challenge from the J&K goalkeeper, Shabir Hussain.

Karnataka went on a rampage, scoring five goals in space of nine minutes as the J&K defence and its goalkeeper cut a sorry figure. Peter, who repeatedly broke free on the left, set up the third goal as his precise centre was tapped in by Sunil in the 25th minute. Peter was credited with the fourth goal as his cross missed R.C. Prakash's foot but was deflected in by defender Moon Madan in the 26th minute.

Peter did the spade work for the fifth goal feeding Sunil who made no mistake. R.C. Prakash and Xavier Vijay Kumar moved in tandem from middle pushing their way into the heart of the J&K defence. Xavier found the target with a neat placement in the 28th minute and R.C. Prakash made it 7-0 in the 31st minute.

In the next minute J&K scored off a fast counter attack which caught the entire Karnataka defence napping. J&K captain Ranjeet Singh utilised the free space given to him by the scattered Karnataka defence to place the ball into the net.

J&K managed to withstand the Karnataka onslaught in the remaining minutes. The substitution of its goalkeeper, however, did not have the designed effect. Karnataka used its second strikers in the second half and the side could not dominate J&K as it had done in the first half.

Peter scored in the 47th, 62nd and 81st minutes to cap a fine day for him. Karnataka conceded a needless goal when Khogen Singh fouled Mohammed Rafiq inside the penalty box and the spot kick was converted by Gurmeet Singh without much fuss in the 65th minute.

Afternoon rain spoiled a potentially good match between Utter Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Both sides had their share of exchanges and chances but failed to cash on to it. Uttar Pradesh which needed only a draw to advance, played percentage football and did not try to do anything extraordinary. Madhya Pradesh played well only in patches but found it difficult to breach the Uttar Pradesh defence.

The MP attacks lacked conviction and variety to test the rival defence and the side bowed but with two draws. Uttar Pradesh finished with four points.

On Thursday Punjab will meet Railways in the second pre- quarterfinals and Maharashtra takes on Haryana in the lone Cluster VI match.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Sport
Previous : Zimbabwe loses way after good start
Next     : Manchester United and Bayern Munich play out draws