Date:02/05/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/05/02/stories/2007050209311800.htm

Sport - Football

SBT trounces KSEB

Principal Correspondent

KOZHIKODE: SBT knocked KSEB out of the Western Union State football league on Tuesday. The bank men's 6-1 victory in the all-Thiruvananthapuram encounter at the Corporation Stadium took them to the semifinals, along with Central Excise, from Group `A'. The clash between the two teams on Thursday will determine the group winner.

It was a forgettable match for KSEB, the champion in this competition just two years ago. To be fair to KSEB though, this team hardly resembles the one that triumphed at Thrissur in 2005. KSEB is playing a depleted side here, with prolific striker P.K. Anil Kumar and three others unable to play here because they are, technically, still on loan for Viva Kerala.

Hakkim hat-trick

The bank men opened their account in as early as the second minute, through M.A. Abdul Hakkim, who made no mistake from inside the box after receiving an excellent pass from A.G. Mohammed Aslam down the left.

Aslam himself scored in the 17th minute, off a through ball from C.J. Rinil down the centre. In the 23rd minute, Hakkim made it 3-0 with a fine solo effort; he completed his hat-trick in the 40th minute. Before that, Aslam had netted his second goal, in the 28th minute. SBT led 5-0 at half time.

R. Renjith pulled one back for KSEB in the 56th minute, but substitute S.

Anil Kumar struck for SBT in the 75th to ensure that the result would be 6-1 for a second successive day.