Hyderabad: West Bengal edged out Odisha 3-1 to qualify for the semifinals of the 78th National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy 2024-25 at the Deccan Arena Thursday.
Odisha had a bright start to the game as Rakesh Oram put them in the lead in the 25th minute. Bengal found the equaliser at the stroke of halftime through Narohari Shrestha and struck twice more via Robi Hansda (70’) and substitute Manotos Maji (90+2’) to enter the semi-finals for the 52nd time.
Hansda’s ninth goal of the campaign saw him pull further away in the goalscoring charts.
For record champions West Bengal, tackling adversity was the one challenge they did not expect from this game, against a team that had qualified for the knockouts by the skin of their teeth.
Yet, the underdogs became the second team to breach the Bengal defence in the Santosh Trophy this season, Rakesh Oram scoring the first goal of the day in the 25th minute to give them a shock lead through a header off a corner by Bikash Kumar Sahoo.
It wasn’t just a shocker but also an eye-opener when Sanjoy Sen’s side had been controlling the game; even when the goal rang in, and to their credit they rolled on in the same way after. Odisha’s luck finally gave out in the final minute of the first half when seasoned forward Shrestha drew them level with a firm right-footer.
The leveller was expected to change the mood of the game, and yet Odisha would not go away, carving out half chances aplenty early in the second half.
West Bengal for their part were profligate with the ball, and especially in the final third. It took the best out of their main man Hansda to give them the lead. The forward added his ninth goal to a brilliant Santosh Trophy campaign in the 77th minute. It was a measured left-footed half volley from top of the box after Shreshta headed it down for him. A deflated Odisha tried their best to get back in the game, but by now West Bengal had settled and held them an arm’s length away.
A third goal by Maji deep in injury time off a counter-attack sealed the win, and ensured that West Bengal’s quest for the thirty-third title rolls on.
IANS