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TN, Karnataka settle for draw

By Our Special Correspondent

Tamil Nadu's Ashok Kumar (left) tries to dribble past Karnataka skipper Pemmiah in the South Zone National football championship at Tiruchi on Tuesday.

TIRUCHI APRIL 15. A hard fought contest that did not produce goals but many goalmouth actions left host Tamil Nadu and Karnataka settling for a point each in the South Zone under-21 National football championship at the St. Joseph's Higher Secondary School ground on Tuesday.

It was the biggest gathering till date and understandably too after Tamil Nadu's fine show thus far. But sadly for the local supporters the expectations soured to some extent with the team failing to produce the same form, only flashes of it in fact, in the face of Karnataka's relentless efforts.

Indeed, had goalkeeper Vimal Raj not been as tall as he is, may be that last minute relay-header by the uncanny Sreenivasan off a long ball from Bharat Kumar could have slipped in and given Karnataka the win it desperately wanted. In the event the lanky Vimal managed to push the ball over the bar and raise a sigh of relief around.

On such an escape did Tamil Nadu's tale end today after that high scoring win against Andhra Pradesh the other day. Leading the table with seven points and a match against Kerala on the final day, Tamil Nadu can still nurse hopes of grabbing the lone qualifier's spot.

Having drawn against Kerala earlier, Karnataka was keen to win and this was reflected in its approach. Going for man-to-man marking, and in particular bottling up the key man upfront — Ashok Kumar — Karnataka's aim was to disrupt Tamil Nadu's plans while tuning up its own attack.

Ashok on occasion broke free, but the zip was missing in his movements. In desperation he even tried feigning falls or gesturing in despair to catch the Referee's attention. Nothing worked. Overall Tamil Nadu's approach lacked rhythm with mispasses and aimless kicks overtaking skills.

A Kuttymani drive from close, which made Vimal bend and dive to stop, was the first salvo from Karnataka. Soon the Karnataka attack began coming in cascades. With Tamil Nadu's midfield efficiency dropping Karnataka's progress was smoother.

However, after the breather Ashok's 49th-minute header off a Gowrishankar flag-kick suddenly swung the focus to the Karnataka end where a goal-line save by Daniel saved the team the blushes.

The exchanges turned sharp triggering repeated goalmouth action. But with success being elusive, tension mounted and a sudden clash between Pemmiah and Ashok saw both being booked. With the crowd egging it on, Tamil Nadu jacked up the pressure to match Karnataka's tempo. Runs and kicks turned feverish but to no avail.

Wednesday's match: Kerala v Pondicherry.

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