AIFF Media Team

HYDERABAD: Record time champions West Bengal and last year's semi-finalists Manipur bagged victories on the opening day of Group A of the Final Round of the 78th National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy at the Deccan Arena on Saturday, December 14, 2024.

Last champions in 2016-17, West Bengal won 3-1 against Jammu & Kashmir, who are playing in the final round for the first time since 2015-16. Manipur scored a last-gasp 1-0 win over defending champions Services, while hosts Telangana rallied to take a point from Rajasthan in a 1-1 draw.

Plain sailing for West Bengal

West Bengal 3 (Robi Hansda 3', Naro Hari Shrestha 12', Bikram Pradhan 47')
beat
Jammu & Kashmir 1 (Arun Nagial 79')

West Bengal didn't waste any time to get going and found the opener inside three minutes when Robi Hansda headed in Suprodip Hazra's curling corner. The second goal arrived nine minutes later via another fine header, Naro Hari Shrestha cushioning an inch-perfect cross from Juwel Ahmed Mazumder into the top corner.

Sanjoy Sen's side were again quick to find the net after the second half restart. Bikram Pradhan scored with a hopeful strike from almost 35 yards out which took a bounce in front of goalkeeper Nirdosh Sagotra and trickled inside the near post. Jammu & Kashmir didn't remain toothless in attack and got their consolation goal in the 79th minute as Arun Nagial headed in from a corner.

Ragui header wins it for Manipur at the death

Manipur 1 (Shunjanthan Ragui 90+6')
beat
Services 0

It was always going to be a close affair between defending champions Services and last season's semi-finalists Manipur. Services created more opportunities in the first hour, testing goalkeeper Salam Sanaton Singh on multiple occasions, most notably in a one-on-one chance for Rahul Ramakrishnan which was expertly saved by the Manipur custodian.

At the other end, Gagandeep Singh was equally up to the task as he punched out a stinging left-footer from Khullakpam Zahir Khan. Manipur were on the front foot in the final minutes of the game and were justly rewarded in the 96th minute when Shunjanthan Ragui scored from a perfectly-placed header that looped into the top corner following Zahir's cross.

Hosts Telangana leave it late to salvage a point

Telangana 1 (Tejavath Sai Kartik 90' p)
drew with
Rajasthan 1 (Amit Godara 53')

After a first half of few chances, Rajasthan made a quicker start to the second period and broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute. It all started from Mukesh Kumar's long throw from the right that the Telangana defence were unable to deal with. The loose ball fell kindly for Amit Godara who launched a rasping half-volley into the bottom corner.

Telangana upped the ante after conceding and would have scored the equaliser moments later had Syed Imtiyaz Ahmed not ballooned his effort from eight yards out with just the goalkeeper to beat. The hosts rallied for a goal in the entire second half and were rewarded with a penalty in the 90th minute when Rajasthan goalkeeper Gaurav Kumar Singh fouled Syed Abid Hussain Razvi, who had just come on two minutes earlier. Tejavath Sai Kartik made no mistake from 12 yards, slotting the ball into the bottom corner to salvage a point for the hosts.

Sunday, December 14 Fixtures (Group B):
09:00 - Kerala vs Goa
14:30 - Tamil Nadu vs Meghalaya
19:30 - Delhi vs Odisha