Northeast teams win
Action from Greenwood Higher Secondary School of Nagaland and Manipur’s North Eastern School in New Delhi.
At least one team from Northeast were assured of a berth in the Under-14 final of the 53rd Subroto Cup football tournament, when Greenwood Higher Secondary School of Nagaland and Mizoram’s Tumpui Middle School won their respective quarter-final matches in the capital on Saturday.
Group II winners Greenwood needed an extra time strike (2-1) from Lelen to pip North Eastern School, Manipur, in the first quarter-final, while Tumpui got the better of NCC of West Bengal 1-0 in the other last-eight match.
The opening quarter-final was an engaging affair. Though the teams failed to score heavily — much like their league encounters — there was plenty of effort on display.
Nyithung struck in the 18th minute to put Greenwood ahead, before Sundaynoon found the equaliser for the opponents. The Manipur-based school were duly rewarded when the referee awarded them a penalty after one of their strikers was obstructed inside the box. Sundaynoon slotted the ball home to make it 1-1.
It was a battle of attrition from there on, with both teams desperate for the lead. Lelen sent the team into wild celebrations with a clinical finish in extra-time, booking the semis berth.
In the second tie, Tumpui dominated the proceedings throughout and a 30th-minute strike from Zomuanpuia was enough to take them through.
On Friday, NCC routed Utkramit Madhya Vidyalya of Jharkhand 5-0. Mithun Oran, Arup Roy (both two goals each) and Pritam Mondal were the goal-scorers. In another match, Meghalaya’s Government Boys Higher Secondary School beat Government Boys Higher Secondary School, Jashpur, Chhattisgarh 11-0.
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