Former champions Manipur and Punjab made it a day of big results, beginning their respective cluster league matches with huge 13-0 and 7-0 wins over Rajasthan and Pondicherry in the Senior National football championship for the Santosh Trophy here on Friday.
In another match, Nagaland contributed further in the goal riot beating Gujarat 4-0 to complete the day's routine of one-sided encounters.
Punjab, playing its cluster III encounter against Pondicherry, seemed rather slow off the block managing just two goals in the first session. Balwant Singh (29th) and Ravinder Singh (31st) struck in a span of three minutes to set Punjab on its way.
The real charge from the northern giant started after the break as Balwant scored his second goal to make it 3-0 for Punjab in the 48th minute. Balraj Singh (66th), Rohit Kumar (70th) and Praveen Kumar (71st) produced three quick goals within six minutes to make it 6-0 before Randeep Singh added the last in the 88th minute. Another match of the same cluster saw Nagaland beating Gujarat with four second session goals. Sakutemje scored twice while Deilierio and Tiafumet scored one each.
Playing the lone cluster IV encounter, Manipur plundered Rajasthan 13-0 to showcase its might. Having recalled a part of its vast resource of players employed with major I-League clubs, Manipur piled on the misery right from the start and amassed an 8-0 lead in the first half itself. R. Vashum (15, 18, 25, 44 & 64) contributed with five, while Subhas Singh (12, 38, 58 & 67) was close behind with four. Charan Rai (8, 28), Bisheshwor Singh (22) and Naila Kumar Singh (86) were the other scorers for Manipur.
Source: The Hindu
