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Football: Orissa, AP in last four

By Our Sports Reporter

HYDERABAD Dec. 17. Orissa and Andhra Pradesh advanced to the semifinals of the women's football championships from Group B at the Shivkumarlal Stadium, Goshamahal on Tuesday. In a three-way tie, where the above teams and Bihar had six points each, Orissa with a goal difference of 10 topped the group, while AP with zero edged out Bihar, which had minus one.

Incidentally the host lost its last match to Bihar 0-3 on Tuesday, after trailing 0-2 half-way through. Anjani Rani opened Bihar's account in the 34th, followed up by Swathi Kumari in the last minute of the first half. Requiring a five-goal verdict to reach the last four stage, Bihar made it three through Annukumari shortly before the long whistle.

In the other match, Orissa drubbed Kerala 6-0 after leading by Tumki Munda's 27th minute goal at half-time. A hat-trick by Indian skipper Sradhanjali Samanta Rai in the 64th, 73rd and 76th minutes was bolstered by Sudipta Das (85th) and Aruna Divyadarshini, three minutes from the close.

At the Lal Bahadur Stadium, Services' Saroj Gurung was on song again. On a solo from the centre, he dodged defenders aplenty, before coming almost face to face with Goa's custodian Benu J. Purushottam. As has been the goalie's tendency, he fell to foil the attempt but failed to prevent Gurung from scoring in the 64th.

A piledriver from Services' Irudaya Raj, taken within the box, off a second rebound, slammed into Khannan Priyolkar's face in the 29th. The Goan citadel was saved on the very goal-line, but Priyolkar had to be stretchered out.

Kausik Prasad drew first blood for West Bengal in the 20th against Maharashtra. Eight minutes later Antony Fernandez enabled the western side draw level. Pradeep Indu found the net again for Bengal in the 31st. Dipendu Biswas rounded off the tally for the eastern outfit six minutes from the close. Fernandez bridged the gap for Maharashtra in the 86th.

Services and West Bengal, with seven points each, advanced to the semifinals from group B, the former topping the table with a higher goal difference — three against Bengal's two.

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