Skipper Gurjit Singh Atwal struck four goals as former champions Punjab humiliated Goa 5-1 to almost assure themselves a semi-final berth in the Indian Oil Santosh Trophy football championship after Services shocked 29-time winners Bengal 2-1 in Delhi on Sunday.
Services, also the semi-finalists in the last edition, joined holders Manipur and runners-up Kerala in the last four. The winners were leading 1-0 at half-time after R Rajesh struck in injury time. Man of the match Shaji A D'Silva put Services 2-0 ahead in the 51st minute before Bengal captain Dipendu Biswas reduced the margin in the 63rd minute converting a penalty.
Later in the day, Punjab proved too hot to handle as they outplayed Goa after leading 2-0 at half-time.
Punjab opened their account in the 19th minute through forward Harvinder Singh and then his striking partner and skipper took over.
Atwal struck in the 33rd minute and after changing ends the player of the match completed his hat-trick finding the back of the net in the 47th and 57th minutes.
But the Border Security Force Inspector was not through with his class act as he again beat Goan keeper Juje Siddi in the 84th minute giving Punjab its fifth goal.
Two minutes earlier, Goan captain Climax Lawrence had struck the consolation goal.
Kerala will take on Services in a rematch of last edition's semi-final on Thursday and Manipur will clash with the winners of Group D, most probably Punjab, in the other semi on Friday.
Goa, who beat Tamil Nadu 1-0 in their first quarterfinal league match, straight away knew that Punjab, having top players from JCT in their ranks, were a different proposition.
Punjab operated with two men upfront. Both Gurjit and Harvinder Singh repeatedly troubled the four-man Goan defence with their speedy thrusts through the centre and wings.
Making matters worse for Goan coach Marcus Pacheco was overlapping defender Baldeep Singh, who sped down the right flank with such speed that whenever he moved up alarm bells rang in the Goan camp.
| |||||||||||
But after that it was Gurjit all the way as his four goals hardly gave Siddi, who has guarded the India goalpost in the past, any chance. He scored his side's second goal after tearing apart the Goan defence with superb speed and skill after being put through.
Such was his pace that by the time he scored his hat-trick, his markers Samir Naik, Bernard Pires and later substitute John Dias were all beaten hands down in one to one duels.
Earlier, Bengal, who last won the tournament in 1998-99 beating Goa in Chennai, were down to 10-men in the 84th minute when Mahab Das got marching orders for stamping Rajesh.
Bengal, who again crashed out without making it to the semis, only had themselves to blame for wasting the chances that came their way.