Santosh Trophy: Goa face Bengal for title

PANAJI: Penalty shootouts most often leave you with a sinking feeling that the better team lost. The Santosh Trophy semifinal won by Bengal against Mizoram at the GMC Athletic Stadium, Bambolim, on Thursday was one such event.

However, salute the 31-time champions who used every guile and experience to sandbag all that the sprightly North-East team had to throw at them.

Bengal won 6-5 on sudden-death after regulation time and extratime produced no goals. It was their first final since 2011 and earning the right to play hosts and arch-rivals Goa, 2-1 victory over Kerala in the second semifinal.

After the set of five penalties apiece ended 4-4, the contest went into the second round of sudden-death kicks.

Moirangthem Basanta Singh, not quite recovered from an ankle injury, slotted to the extreme right of Lalmuanawma Muanawma's goal to win the match after Sankar Roy, under the Bengal bar, lunged to his left to thwart Lalbiakhlua.

Bastanta may have sealed it but Roy's role could well have been decisive. The goalkeeper saved twice in the tie-breaker, diving to his left after earlier heroics in the gruelling encounter.

With penalties looming, Roy went flat on the turf to block Lalrammawia Rammawia's grounder that had 'goal' written all over it. Moments later, the Bengal goalkeeper showed a steady pair of hands to thwart a nifty free-kick by Mizoram captain Lalrinchhana Tochhawng even as Lalchhuanawma Vanchhawng shaped menacingly to score.