HYDERABAD
Day 2 of the 78th Senior Men’s National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy 2024-25 saw a flurry of goals and some near misses in Group B, as Kerala rallied to beat Goa 4-3, Meghalaya fought from two goals down to draw Tamil Nadu 2-2, and Delhi beat Odisha 2-0 at the Deccan Arena, on Sunday.
Delhi move provisionally to the top of Group B with three points, ahead of Kerala by dint of a superior goal difference, followed by Meghalaya and Tamil Nadu, who are on a point apiece. Goa and Odisha occupy the bottom two spots, respectively.
In a clash of two multiple former champions, Kerala triumphed 4-3 against Goa in the first group stage match of Group B in the Santosh Trophy final rounds. The former led 3-1 at half-time.
Nigel Fernandes (2’) put last year’s runners-up Goa in the lead very early on in the match, as he turned his marker and slotted it low and hard.
Kerala took some time to settle into the game, but once they did, the goals kept on coming. Muhammed Riyas PT (16’), Muhammed Ajsal (27’), and Naseeb Rahman (33’) all scored in the first half, to put the seven-time champions in a commanding position. Christy Davis (69’) produced a mazy run from just outside the box, as he beat two defenders, and then sidestepped the onrushing Goa custodian Antonio Da Silva, to score in an empty net.
Goa did mount a late surge, as substitute Shubert Joanus Pereira (78’, 86’) scored two, but Kerala maintained the lead to take home the points.
Determined Meghalaya snatch a point from Tamil Nadu
Meghalaya exhibited remarkable composure to come back from two goals down to draw 2-2 against Tamil Nadu in their first match of the Santosh Trophy final rounds. Tamil Nadu led 2-0 at the break.
In a game of two halves, Tamil Nadu seemed to be running away with the points as Pandiyan Sinivasan (28’) and Alexander Romario Jesuraj (45+2’) got on the scoresheet. Both the goals came off perfectly executed set-piece routines where the two goalscorers managed to hoodwink their markers at the far post. Earlier in the first half, Meghalaya captain Fullmoon Mukhin missed a penalty to further add to their woes.
Meghalaya, however, were far from finished, and came roaring back after the restart. Midfielder Damanbhalang Chyne produced a brilliant strike in the 50th minute to find the top corner from outside the box, before he slotted home a 69th minute penalty, to draw his side level.
Delhi defeat Odisha
Delhi earned a comprehensive 2-0 victory against Odisha in the last match of the day, propelling them to the top spot in Group B. Both goals came in the first half.
The capital side got off to a good start with Jaideep Singh (8’) opening the scoring. The forward was released behind the Odisha defence as he laced a right footer with his first touch and planted it into the bottom corner. Defender Rohmingthanga (43’) doubled their lead minutes before the half-time break, heading in a corner from the near post.
