Giant-killers strike again

Bengal's Shankar Oraon kicked the ball into the waiting net with as much strength as frustration could muster.

Bengal8217;s Shankar Oraon kicked the ball into the waiting net with as much strength as frustration could muster. The only problem was that the final whistle had sounded loud and clear around the Bakshi Stadium just a few seconds ago. Unmindful of the futility, the Services 8216;keeper and captain, Robikanta Singh, made sure it would go nowhere near his goal 8212; not that it would have made much of a difference to the 4-1 scoreline. Twenty-nine-time champions Bengal will still have to wait till next year for an attempt at their 30th Santosh Trophy title 8212; for now, it8217;s time for a Services celebration all the way into the final.

Sochungmi Raleng helped himself to a hat-trick once more as his blistering pace tore apart the Bengal defence, and he was joined in Services8217; final tally by Norgan Lama. Lalkamal Bhowmick managed to score his team8217;s only goal. On tournament form, this result is not a surprising one; on mere pedigree, it just happens to be a huge upset.

Collective disaster

BENGAL were a collective disaster through the match 8212; more often than not, their passes would go sailing off into space, or worse, land at the feet of an adversary. Services began with a series of attacks before their opponents could get a few shots in, and any defensive lapse on their part was met with sharp reprimands from skipper Robikanta. His response to one such error got him charging out of his goal shouting instructions out in the opening minutes of the proceedings, and since that moment, the defence was rock-solid.

On the other side of the field, Bengal could have done with a few such inspiring words. Particularly in the 23rd minute, when defender Habibur Mondal8217;s desperate lunge to clear the ball fell to the worst enemy possible 8212; Raleng. He accepted the gift with an ungracious pounce, and the score was 1-0 to Services.

The listlessness of Bengal8217;s display showed no signs of ending, and coach Krishnendu Roy made an early 29th-minute substitution, Lalkamal Bhowmick on for Snehashish Chakraborty, in the hopes of a reversal of fortunes. Half-a-dozen near-misses, though, don8217;t add up to a goal, and that was all the statistics Bengal could come up with.

Norgan Lama doubled Services8217;s lead a minute before first-half substitute Bhowmick finally put his right foot to good use 8212; opening Bengal8217;s scoring in the 80th minute 8212; but a few minutes later, Raleng figured it was time for his second, and third.

A solo run in the 90th minute put the result beyond all doubt, and he grabbed another in injury-time before breaking out into an impromptu celebratory jig with the rest of the squad.