Striker who broke Kerala hearts last season helps Bengal start with big win in Santosh Trophy
West Bengal defeated Nagaland 4-0 in their opening match of the final round of the 79th Santosh Trophy in Assam on Wednesday.
West Bengal defeated Nagaland 4-0 in their opening match of the final round of the 79th Santosh Trophy in Assam on Wednesday.
West Bengal defeated Nagaland 4-0 in their opening match of the final round of the 79th Santosh Trophy in Assam on Wednesday.
Defending champions West Bengal made a solid start to the 79th Santosh Trophy final round with a 4-0 win over Nagaland at Dhakuakhana in Assam on Wednesday.
Striker Robi Hansda, who hurt Kerala in the final last season, opened the scoring in the 2nd minute with a powerful header. Hansda found himself unmarked when Bengal got a second chance to go for a goal from a corner.
Bengal's second goal was also a header, but this one was glanced over the keeper by Sayan Banjerjee in the 32nd minute.
The holders scored their third in the 49th minute when Akash Hemram used his pace to charge on goal before calmly finishing from an angle. The fourth goal came in the 90th minute from Aqib Nawab, who replaced Hemram shortly after the hour.
Nawab cut inside from the left before playing a neat exchange with a teammate, who tracked his run and played a delightful pass that was curled into the right corner.
Bengal are in Group A alongside Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Nagaland and hosts Assam. Group B comprises Kerala, Meghalaya, Odisha, Punjab, Railways and Services. Kerala will begin tomorrow against Punjab.