Punjab's skill sinks Manipur

By Nandakumar Marar

MUMBAI, NOV. 10. Punjabi footballers high on skill make for fascinating viewing. Jaswinder Singh, tall and powerful, ball chained to his feet and weaving his way past atleast two defenders on every move in the midfield.

Sukhjit Singh, another hulk in the forwardline, beating his marker by gently tapping the ball over instead of knocking him down with a shoulder charge.

Just two samples of a quality which puts a perspective on Punjab's 4-0 mauling of Manipur in a quarterfinal league match of the 57th Santosh Trophy National Football Championships on Saturday.

National coach Sukhwinder Singh, an ex-Punjab and Jagatjit Cotton Textiles stalwart, has an explanation. ``Coaches in Punjab have realised that referees have become so powerful today that you cannot get anywhere by depending on physical play and power alone. So we try to teach skill to the boys, even at the club level. Punjab footballers already have the physique, now they are serious about skill,'' he said, speaking at the Cooperage on Saturday. Ram Pal's brace and one goal each from Hardeep Singh and Gurjit Singh enabled the former national champions to emerge as a strong contender from Group D for the semifinal phase.

If Punjab coach Jagir Singh can convince his boys to extend this creative mood for one more day, Monday's deciding group match against Goa promises to be a thrill-a-minute affair.

Railways downs Services

Railways too improved its prospects of getting a confirmed berth in the semifinal phase by beating Services 3-0 in a Group C quarterfinal league game played earlier, the three points and huge victory margin putting holders Maharashtra in a must-win situation. Kasif Jamal scored the first two goals, substitute Adil Ansari hammered home the third.

Railways played to a plan, a draw preferable, a defeat unpardonable. Goalkeeper Sangram Mukherjee had a lot of work to do as the Services attackers took pot shots at the target from all sides, enjoying the relative freedom granted by the Railways defenders who stuck to their positions but avoided going for a tackle and risk getting beaten.

Services overlapping wing back Anish Sharma made raking runs down the right flank, forward V.K.Sharma almost scored with a back header across the goalmouth.

Railways bided its time in the first half under scorching afternoon heat, then got cracking after the breather through breakaways, Kasif Jamal's 51st minute solo run from near the centreline being its best move. This left-footed player showed a glimpse of fabulous ball control, honed at the Tata Football Academy whom he represented before graduating to the Calcutta league and Indian youth teams. Kasif ran through the entire length of the Services half, using the instep and outstep of his favourite left foot to keep the ball within range.

After warding off two challenges, the Railways striker's brilliant run came to halt inside the box when he was expectedly hacked down. Shrugging off the after-effects of such a brutal challenge, he shook off the dust and then went on to convert the penalty kick with a powerful left-footer. Jamil scored the second with another power-packed shot, the ball flying shoulder high across the Services custodian Abungobi Singh and bulging the net.

Adil Ansari justified his inclusion into the attack by Railways coach Irenio Vaz, beating Singh under the bar again with a right- footed carpet-drive on the run. Services, reduced to ten players at this stage after skipper Amar Bahadur Thapa was shown a red card, fought till the end but in vain.

Manipur will rue its three first half chances missed. Manglem Jao found his shot blocked after bursting through into the goalmouth. Punjab defenders seemed in a daze when Kiran Singh squeezed himself between two defenders on the right and then scooped the ball goalwards, only to see it lob across an empty goal, bounce onto the post and roll away.

Punjab finally struck in the 37th minute through an opportunistic goal by Ram Pal, who then bettered his performance with a left- footed blast from the edge of the box, the sort of first-time, deadly finish capping a long ball move we see so frequently on television.

Manipur goalkeeper Jiten Singh, standing in for in- form Noren Singh, was helpless as Hardeep Singh and Sukhjit Singh punished a porous defence to notch their names on the scorers list.

Manipur played out the remaining part of the match, these four goal negating a positive first half performance. Ironically, its best performer was goalkeeper Jiten, a club level footballer making his Nationals debut and making an immediate impact with a brilliant reflex, leaping save off a Kuldeep Singh long-ranger which even S.S. Narayan, AIFF's talent spotter and double Olympian, watching from his vantage point in the stands, will be proud off.

The results:

Group C: Railways 3 (Kasif Jamal, Adil Ansari) bt Services 0; Group D: Punjab 4 (Ram Pal 2, Hardeep Singh, Gurjit Singh) bt Manipur.

Sunday's matches: Kerala vs Orissa (G- A), Tamil Nadu vs Bengal (G-B).

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