IFA in semi-finals; J&K shock WIFA

Three goals by Dulal Patra was the highlight as defending champions IFA (Bengal) swamped Andhra Pradesh 8-2, in the Group I league encounter, and booked a semi-final berth in the 11th Under-21 National football championship, for M Datta Ray Trophy, in Mandya, Karnataka, on Saturday.

Later, Western India Football Association's (Maharashtra) hopes of a last four slot suffered a big blow as they went down by a solitary goal to lowly Jammu and Kashmir.

WIFA had scored an impressive 2-0 win over Andhra Pradesh in their opening match.

Bengal, who led 3-1 at the breather, have six points from two wins in the four-team league. For Andhra Pradesh, it was their second successive defeat.

Andhra surprised IFA in the very second minute when Sridhar found the target. However, thereafter, the Bengalis took control of the game and scored thrice before the breather, with Mehtab Hossain (21st Minute) and Dulal Patra (28th) and Ashim Biswal (40th) finding the net.

Crossing over, Andhra reduced the margin through Irfan, who struck in the 49th minute. From then on, it was IFA all the way as they made mincemeat of the Andhra defence and scored at will. Mehtab got his second goal in the 56th minute and Patra scored his second goal in the 69th. Subsititute Chinmoy Sarkar bouyed up the tally to 6-2, scoring in the 74th minute. Patra completed his bag of three in the 77th minute and two minutes later Debasis Roy scored the last goal.

In the second match, J&K, who had given an harrowing time to IFA in the first encounter, earned their first victory through an early first half goal by Anmardeep Singh in the 16th minute. They subsequently defended their citadel well. J and K had the better of the exchanges.

Tomorrow, in Group II, Services take on Manipur while Karnataka clash with Goa.