Santosh Trophy: West Bengal Advances to Final with 4-2 Victory Over Services
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Hyderabad, Dec 29 (NationPress) The 78th National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy featured an exciting semi-final where two contrasting halves unfolded as West Bengal triumphed over defending champions Services with a score of 4-2 at the Gachibowli Stadium on Sunday.
This victory signifies West Bengal’s 47th appearance in the tournament's final, a competition they have dominated with a remarkable 32 titles.
The match began with West Bengal taking control early on. Manotos Maji and Naro Hari Shrestha each netted a goal, while Robi Hansda, the tournament's leading scorer with 11 goals, added two more to his tally and earned the Player of the Match accolade.
Services, struggling for the majority of the first half, managed to score through Bikash Thapa as well as an own goal by West Bengal, which injected some tension into the second half.
In the first half, West Bengal executed well-organized attacks. Their defensive strategy was equally impressive, effectively preventing Services' forwards from making a significant impact.
Despite having seven titles, Services appeared to lack a coherent game plan. They found it difficult to break through the Bengal defense and seemed disorganized in their own half, unable to counter the persistent attacks from their opponents.
The scoring commenced in the 16th minute when Services failed to clear a long ball. Maji took advantage of this defensive oversight, controlling the ball at the edge of the box and striking it home to give West Bengal the lead—marking Maji’s sixth goal of the tournament.
As the first half approached its end, West Bengal heightened their offensive efforts. In injury time, Shrestha delivered a brilliant chip to Hansda, who skillfully rounded the Services goalkeeper Gagandeep Singh to secure his 10th goal.
Shortly after, Shrestha himself found the net, converting a through ball from Maji, thus raising his total to seven goals and extending West Bengal’s lead at the halftime whistle.
The second half, however, revealed a different narrative. Perhaps due to a sense of complacency, West Bengal's control lessened, allowing Services to stage a comeback. The tactical alterations made by Services' coach Priya Darshan also contributed to this shift. Services narrowed the gap in the 53rd minute when substitute Thapa headed in a cross from Dilon Kharka Chettri.
This goal significantly shifted momentum toward Services, who pressed for an equalizer, which arrived in the 74th minute. A well-placed cross from the right was inadvertently turned into the net by West Bengal defender Juwel Ahmed Mazumder, setting up a tense conclusion.
Despite the mounting pressure from Services to secure the equalizer, West Bengal managed to regain composure and scored again in the dying minutes of the match. Israful Dewan made a remarkable run, assisting Hansda, who completed his brace, igniting celebrations in the West Bengal camp.
