Santosh Trophy: Kerala scrape past Odisha

It was a must-win game for both teams. But that intensity was lacking in the game between Kerala and Odisha Santosh Trophy National Football Championship at Bhubaneswar on Friday. In the end, Kerala managed to edge their opponents by a solitary goal which kept their semifinal hopes alive in the tournament.
Njo Gilbert scored the lone goal of the match in the 16th minute from the spot.The referee awarded a penalty in favour of Kerala after Odisha midfielder Chandra Mohan Murmu was caught handling the ball. Though the Odisha players argued that the foul was an unintentional one, the referee stood by his decision. Nijo Gilbert, who was the lone bright spot for Kerala in the entire match, took the shot to hand Kerala an early lead.
After the goal, Kerala switched to a defensive mode as Odisha players pressed more men forward in search of an equalizer. But their attacking prowess was not enough to breach Kerala's defence, though they had to overcome some nervous moments to hold on to the one-goal advantage.
Earlier, Maharashtra held Karnataka 3-3, a result that threw Group A wide open. Currently, Punjab, who defeated Goa 3-1, lead the points table with 10 points. Karnataka are second with 8 points and Kerala third with 7 points. In the final round on Sunday, Kerala will face Punjab, Karnataka will take on Odisha and Maharashtra will clash against Goa. A win against Punjab will confirm Kerala's semifinal entry.