Unimpressive Goa edge past Jharkhand

Haryana outclass Gujarat; comfortable victories for Manipur, Maharashtra

 
Goa, last year’s semifinalists, were up against a determined Jharkhand and it took all of 82 minutes for them to score the only goal of the match.

In Chennai, Haryana outclassed Gujarat 6-0 in a Cluster VII match that was played in hot and humid conditions. Vivek Singh Karia and Jaswant Singh Parmar scored a brace each, while Sunil Kumar Sharma and Pawan Kumar netted once respectively to launch Haryana’s campaign on a bright note.

Kaira opened the floodgates with a 17th-minute goal before Parmar made it 2-0 five minutes after the break.

Sharma scored his first in the 52nd minute and slotted Haryana’s fourth goal four minutes later.

Karia put the game beyond Gujarat’s reach by netting in the 71st minute and Kumar rode home the sixth in the 73rd minute.

At Tiruvallur, on the outskirts of Chennai, Manipur romped to a 9-0 win against Uttarakhand in Cluster VI match. Reisangmi Vasum (43rd, 63rd, 89th), Bisheshwar Singh (33rd, 73rd), Singam Subash Singh (59th, 77th), Mutum Bijen Singh (44th) and Thoudam Joychandra Singh (92nd) struck the net to fashion a thumping win for Manipur.

Although it took Manipur a little over half-an-hour to open their scoring, there was no stopping them thereafter as they pulverised Uttarakhand in the biggest defeat of the day.

At Coimbatore, Maharashtra, quarterfinalists last year, opened their account by defeating Uttar Pradesh 3-0 in a Cluster II match.

After Anas Edathodika drew first blood before the break, Alex Mario Ambrose and Zahid Ansari struck on resumption to ensure a comfortable victory for the former champions.