Santosh Trophy QualifiersManipur qualify for final round as substitute Bedeenpar scores winner

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Nov 2 : Manipur have qualified for the Santosh Trophy final round (main draw) after beating Mizoram 1-0 in a must-win zonal qualifying match (Group B) here at Khuman Lampak Main Stadium today.
Manipur, having suffered a 2-0 loss to Tripura in the previous qualifying round match, were in a difficult position till today while Mizoram who had registered two of two wins in the previous match needed a win or a draw to make it to the main round.
As such, they played a bit more defensively, but, their hope of making it to the final round was dismissed as Ng Bedeenpar Moyon who substituted winger Sudhir Laitonjam just after the break scored the winner for Manipur in the 63rd minute.
Earlier, Nagaland thrashed Tripura, who could have been a contender for the lone final round berth from the zonal group, 6-0 to end their campaign on a high as Laiwang Bohham scored a treble.
Laiwang gave Nagaland the lead after 8 minutes before scoring his second in the 19th minute to leave Tripura in the lurch.
The scoring spree for Nagaland continued with Kakhevi Assumi netting the team's third in the 25th minute before Laiwang Bohham stepped up for a penalty kick and completed his treble in the 34th minute.
Nagaland picked up the game from where they left after the restart and it was Visalie Mezhu who banged in the team's fifth in the 48th minute before Pursunep converted another fine chance in the 65th minute.