SANTOSH TROPHY | Bengal motors past Services and into the final

West Bengal defeats defending champions Services 4-2 in Santosh Trophy quarterfinal, advancing to the final for the 47th time.

Bengal knocked out defending champions Services 4-2 in the semifinals of the Santosh Trophy national football championship at the GMC Balayogi Stadium here on Sunday.

This is Bengal’s 47th entry into the final, having won it a record 32 times. Services, which had won the title seven times, was on the back foot for much of the first half. It managed to score through Bikash Thapa and an own goal by Bengal defender Juwel Ahmed Mazumder, which added some suspense to the proceedings in the second half.

The defending champion seemed to lack a coherent strategy and struggled to penetrate the Bengal defence.

The opening goal for Bengal came in the 16th minute due to Services’ inability to clear a deep long ball. Maji capitalised on the defensive lapse, controlled the ball at the edge of the box and fired home. This was Maji’s sixth goal of the tournament.

In first-half injury time, Naro Hari Shrestha’s exquisite chip found Hansda, who coolly rounded the Services goalkeeper Gagandeep Singh to notch up his 10th goal.

Moments later, Shrestha himself scored, converting a through ball from Maji, taking his tally to seven goals for the tournament.

Services fought back strongly in the second-half to reduce the margin in the 53rd minute when substitute Bikash Thapa headed in Dilon Kharka Chettri’s cross from the left.