Madhya Pradesh trounce Pondicherry

Former champions Kerala drub Chattisgarh 3-0 in a Cluster I match at Coimbatore

 
Krishna Kumar Singh gave MP the lead in the 25th minute while team-mate Santhosh Rajak found the back of the net in the 59th. Sony Rajak wounded Pondicherry further with a goal in the 63rd minute and MP sealed the thumping win with Baghwan Das’s goal in the 88th.

This was Pondicherry’s second consecutive defeat in the tournament following their loss to Jammu and Kashmir in the previous encounter.

Madhya Pradesh, who came into the game with a win over Mizoram in their kitty, started the game on an attacking note and never allowed Pondicherry to take control of the game.

Krishna penetrated the oppositions defences with great skill and agility to draw a penalty kick which he converted to give his side the 1-0 lead.

MP donned a very aggressive approach in the second half and the change in approach helped them score three more goals to have the score at 4-0 at the final whistle.

In the Cluster I match at Coimbatore, Kerala defeated Chhattisgarh 3-0 to pocket three points and qualify for the pre-quarterfinals of the prestigious event. Kerala, after several attempts at putting themselves ahead, went ahead in the 25th minute when skipper NP Pradeep found the back of the net.

Kerala extended their lead in the 62nd minute when Zubair K headed the ball into the net.

Sushant Matthew, who had missed the penalty in the first half, came back into the game with a powerful shot some 35-yards from the crosspiece to help his team take a 3-0 lead.

Rajasthan posted a narrow 3-2 win over Himachal Pradesh  in a Cluster VIII match at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai. In the days earlier match, Railways scored comfortable 1-0 win over Assam at Thiruvallore.  Amrinder Singh scored the solitary goal in the 39th minute for the Railways.