Karnataka capped off a dramatic final game in Group B to beat Gujarat 4-0 and qualify for the semi-finals of the 75th National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy at the Manjeri Payyanad Football Stadium here on Monday.
Services' victory over Odisha earlier in the day had upset the comfortable apple cart that was this group. The math, leading into this final group stage game was simple. Karnataka needed to win by a three-goal margin to go through.
In the 12th minute, Karnataka had the lead, Sudheer Kotikela picking up a brilliantly played through ball from midfield, driving into the box from the right, and unleashing a perfect finish into the bottom far corner.
In the 28th, P Kamalesh collected a square pass from D Arun Kumar at the edge of the Gujarat area, switched feet, cutting past Harshil Parekh and Muhammed Sagar Ali as if they weren't even there, before opening up his body and curling for the right corner of the goal. His shot was perfect, and the finish glorious. Karnataka were two to the good.
Within minutes, they had their crucial third. Prashanth Kalinga ran into space on the right and curled a superb cross into a dangerous area in Karnataka's box. Despite being sandwiched by two defenders, Kotikela, five yards from goal, sent a first time finish into the net. His team were in raptures. And on a rampage. Suddenly, with just half an hour gone, Karnataka were dreaming of the semi finals.
Gujarat came out for the second half with a little more urgency. But right on the hour mark, a cross from D Arun Kumar on the left, dropped the ball perfectly to Magesh Selva in the box. The forward didn't miss, connecting neatly to put Karnataka in dreamland.
They stayed there for the remaining third of the game, controlling possession brilliantly, creating chances and threatening to score more, all the while keeping Gujarat at safe distance. At the referee's final whistle it was jubilation, in the stands and on the pitch.
( With inputs from ANI )
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor