By IANS,
Srinagar : Services stunned 29-time champions Bengal to enter the final of the 62nd National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy here Thursday.
Services striker S. Raleng struck thrice while Norgan Lama scored one goal to complete the tally while Lal Kamal Bhowmick scored the consolatory goal for Bengal in the first semi-final.
Raleng also became the highest scorer of the championship with 13 goals from nine matches that also includes a hat-trick in the quarter final stage.
Raleng was solely responsible for Services’ excellent showing not only in this match but also in the whole tournament. Raleng with his goal-rush brought a refreshing wave to the entire Bakshi Stadium here.
During the first half, Services dominated and kept close to scoring on a couple of occasions. Bengal’s Tarif Ahmad was also twice close to opening the score for the last year finalists.
It was the 23-year-old Raleng, who gave Services the lead in the 24th minute with a beautifully angled shot.
Bengal boys were down again as Services defender Lama’s long ranger screamed past the goalkeeper to double the lead in the 79th minute. Two minutes later, a desperate Lal Kamal scored the only goal for the Bengal team.
Raleng then score two goals in a row in just eight minutes to achieve victory and put an end to Bengal’s campaign in the championship.
The star-studded Bengal team, which had four internationals in their ranks in Syed Rahim Nabi, Mehtab Hussain, Tarif and Habi-ur-Rehman, failed to create any impression.