Maharashtra slam 16 past Rajasthan

Maharashtra opened their account early in the fifth minute against Rajasthan and never looked back. R Mahato (3), Gift Rai Khan (3), Bongo Singh (3), Tomba Singh (3), Tabrez Sayyad, Osborne D’Souza, Aziz Mohammed Quereshi and Lanuchubha Inchem were the goal-getters.

There were few chances and goalmouth thrills in the opening half of the Goa-MP clash. MP came by the first opening in the 10th minute. But a fine goalmouth cross by captain Rahmat Baig went abegging.

Goa celebrated this narrow escape by wresting the lead in the 14th minute. A melee resulted in the MP goalmouth following a throw-in from the rightand Joseph Elvis Coelho popped up to find the target with a header for Goa.

In the only other goalmouth action in the first session, a stiff right-footer by Goa’s Advin Jesus Fernandes was neatly parried away by MP goalkeeper Mohammed Tariq Ali in the 32nd minute.

In the second-half, Goa had the edge over their opponents and struck in the 50th minute. A neat goalmouth centre from the left by Anish Pereira saw Lazarus Fernandes beat goalkeeper Tariq Ali with a right-footer to the right of the ‘keeper.

Goa then made it 3-0 in the 58th minute. Goalkeeper Tariq Ali failed to cut off a cross from the right by Sebastian Menezes and Anish Pereira, who was unmarked on the left, headed the ball into an untenanted goal.

Advin Jesus Fernandes broke the back of the MP resistance with two goals, the first resulting off a fine volley in the 59th minute. He then rounded-off the tally in the 75th minute.

Pramod Kumar netted MP’s consolation goal in the 84th minute.