KSEB enter final

[1]

Kerala State Electricity Board Thiruvananthapur-am stormed into the final of the State Club Championship defeating Basco Othukkungal 4-0 in the semifinal held here on Wednesday.

KSEB players took advantage of the inexperienced Malappuram line-up to register a comfortable victory. K. Bineesh put KSEB in front in the 38th minute of the match. KSEB could have netted three more goals in the first half had their strikers not shot wide.

Basco team started the game, going on the offensive in the opening minutes of the match, but failed to capitalise on their chances. In the 15th minute of the match, Abdul Ganiyy collected a through ball from winger Rasif but lost it to a combined effort by KSEB custodian S. Sreeju and defender Satheesh.

However, Basco players soon began to lose the plot even as their opponents made use of the opportunities that came their way.

In the added minute of the first half, Jamshad of Basco almost gave his team a ray of hope but his powerful lob from the half line missed the target narrowly.

KSEB players were on the money in the second half in which three goals were hammered on Basco. KSEB’s Anees fluffed a sure chance in the 46th minute as he shot wide but compensated for it by sending a cross two minutes later which was headed by Sugun Kumar.

The third goal came from a spot-kick just outside the box. Receiving the shot taken by Bineesh, KSEB striker Rakesh made no mistake as he netted in a powerful shot.

M. Alex completed the rout in style in the next minute as he stunned an advancing Basco goalie by sending in a lob into the net. On Thursday, Kerala Police will play Golden Threads FC in the second semifinal.