The Hindu : Sport / Football : Punjab makes it to the final

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Friday, May 25, 2007
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Punjab makes it to the final

Principal Correspondent

Satwant Singh scores the winner in extra time

— Photo: Ritu Raj Konwar

DANCE WITH ME: Satwant Singh (centre), celebrates with Jagpreet Singh (right) and Manpreet Singh after scoring.

GUWAHATI: Punjab fought back from a goal's deficit to upstage home favourite Assam 2-1 in extra-time in the first semifinal of the National under-21 football at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Thursday.

Second-half substitute Satwant Singh scored the winner in the 101st minute to help Punjab ensure a place in the final. Punjab, which won its maiden title in 2004, forced the match beyond the regulation time with a 57th-minute equaliser scored by Baljit Sahni. Assam, buoyed by an express start, led the first session through a 30th-minute goal by striker Mintu Boro.

Confident bunch

Coming in as Group A champion with an undefeated record in the quarterfinal league stage, Assam was clearly the favourite. Also it was riding on the confidence of having held defending champion Bengal 1-1 in the previous encounter.

In the first session, Assam pushed Punjab on the back foot. Captain Zaidinmaiwa Hmar and F. Lalmuanpuia's return from a one-match suspension gave the host's attacks direction and edge.

Assam earned two chances in the first half-hour. The Punjab defence somehow managed to hold together but this did not last long as Assam found the break in the 30th minute. Boro found the mark with a brilliant shot that beat Punjab custodian Tajinder Singh. Assam had another chance in the 43rd minute but Singh showed greater alacrity clearing a Lalmuanpuia freekick in the 43rd minute.

The Punjab defence looked shaky and tentative repeatedly miscuing clearances and making numerous mispasses. Assam made the most of the opponent's bemused back-line and created almost a dozen openings. But the second goal eluded Assam as its strikers choked at the goalmouth.

Meanwhile, Punjab found the equaliser from a set-piece situation. Sahni, used in various positions for his all-round ability, turned out as the striker and showed his craft yet again scoring off a Manpreet Singh freekick.

The action meandered into extra-time (which is a total of 20 minutes in the youth level) as Assam attackers — especially Boro, midfielder Priyo Kumar Singh and substitute Jayanta Basumatary — kept squandering close chances on their turns. Punjab found the precious lead in the first minute of the second half of the extra time (101st minute). Satwant Singh found the mark .

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