Former champion Manipur got the better of defending champion Karnataka by a solitary goal in a final stage Group B match of the 77th National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy at the Golden Jubilee Stadium in Yupia, Arunachal Pradesh on Monday.
Ngangbam Pacha Singh found the only goal of the match late in the first half to secure the full quota of points for Manipur which sailed to the top of the current group standings with seven points from two wins and a draw. Karnataka, which drew its first two matches, remained at the bottom of the table with just two points to its credit.
Former champion Mizoram produced the best result of the final stage action so far by overwhelming Delhi 5-1 in another match of the same group earlier in the day. M.C. Malsawmzuala and Malsawmzuala Tlangte shared four goals while Dawngliana found the net once to realize the big win for Mizoram, which tasted its first success to tally four points from three matches and jumped to the second spot in the current standings. Delhi also tallied four points but took the third spot on having an inferior goal difference. Railways beat Maharashtra 2-1 in another match.
The results:
Manipur 1 (Ngangbam Pacha Singh 45) beat Karnataka 0.
Mizoram 5 (M.C. Malsawmzuala 26, 38, Malsawmzuala Tlangte 29, 32, M.S. Dawngliana 67) bt Delhi 1 (Mohit Mittal 90+2).
Railways 2 (Subrata Murmu 11, S. Rajesh 73) bt Maharashtra 1 (Nikhil Kadam 43).
