61st CC Meet : KPSC, NACO cruise into next round
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 29 2019:
KPSC, Kakching outlasted HUSO, Senapati by 4-1 goals while NACO, Nambul Mapal eased to a 3-1 win against GSC, Churachandpur in today's matches of the 61st Sir Churachand Singh KCSI, CBE Memorial Football Tournament, 2018-19 which is being organised by All Manipur Football Association at Artificial Turf Ground, Khuman Lampak.
In the first match that was reduced to a 70 minute (35 minutes each half) game as both KPSC and HUSO failed to turn up timely, KPSC looked to control the game from the beginning and took a slender 1-0 lead in the first half through H Shital's 33rd minute goal.
The Kakching side continued to keep the ball in their possession after the restart and it was N Dhruv who doubled their lead in the 37th minute before Emanuel T of HUSO pulled back a goal in the two minutes latter.
Kh Avinash of KPSC however added a goal the very next minute to hinder the comeback of the Senapati side and it was Ksh Tyson who drove home the last nail in the 50th minute for a 4-1 finish.
Elsewhere in the second match, GSC, Churachandpur took a 1-0 lead in the first half but NACO bounced back in the second half to secure an impressive 3-1 comeback win.
The Churachandpur side seemed to start the game on a positive note with Paokhongam Haokip beating the NACO keeper early in the 9th minute.
NACO which were surprised by the goal tried hard to draw level but GSC stood firm to deny them from making any change in the scoreline till the break.
After the changeover, struggling NACO entered the field with more intent and poured more men into GSC's half in search of the equaliser.
Although NACO failed to break the defence line of the Churachandpur side soon their unending efforts bore fruit when Y Ankesh fetched a goal in the 79th minute and cancelled the GSC's lead.
There was no looking back for NACO after the equaliser as Y Ankesh rose for another goal in the 84th minute for a 2-1 lead before Ng Rahul banged in the decisive goal during the additional time (90+5) to earn his team a 3-1 win.