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Mizoram defeated Jharkhand 3-1 on their last Group D matchday in the Swami Vivekananda U20 Men's National Football Championship at the Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama Ground on Tuesday. In the other match, Maharashtra defeated Tripura 2-0, as per the official website of the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
The side from the north-east, who had already qualified for the quarter-finals before their last group stage match, remained unbeaten and end with 12 points in Group D. They are followed by Maharashtra with nine, Tripura with six, Jharkhand with three, and Himachal Pradesh with none. Mizoram started with an early lead in their 3-1 win against Jharkhand, as PC Pazawna scored from inside the box in the 4th minute. John Lalrinawma doubled the lead for his side with a header from a corner in the 11th minute, followed by Ngurthanmawia's right-footed strike in the 87th minute. Birbal Mohli, in the 38th minute, scored the only goal for Jharkhand from a defensive error as the Mizoram defender gave away the ball right outside the box. In the other game, a closely-contested battle and a goal-less first half, Kshitij Maral opened the scoring for Maharashtra in the 62nd minute as he took a right-footed shot from inside the box followed by Eashan Sartape in the 94th minute as he took a sleek touch beating the last defender and sent the ball through the keepers legs to double the lead. Punjab qualified for the quarter-finals of the Swami Vivekananda Men's U20 NFC after defeating Ladakh 8-1 in their Group C match at the Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama Ground on Monday. Needing three points to secure the top spot and a place in the quarter-finals, Punjab went on to complete a demolition job over Ladakh, after the latter had the lead, albeit for a brief period, early on in the game. Punjab led 3-1 at half-time. Imran Ali's eighth-minute goal for Ladakh was cancelled out just about 60 seconds later by Punjab's Gaurav Singh, who smashed in a rebound. Harmandeep Singh, in the 25th minute, poked a bouncing ball over the Ladakh goalkeeper's head to help Punjab put one foot in the knockout rounds. Gurmeet Singh doubled the lead in the 43rd minute, when he skipped past the keeper and slid it into the goal. Punjab were well and truly in the driver's seat, and they continued their dominance in the second half. Arun Kumar Chandla struck two in close proximity in the 68th and 69th minutes, before Damandeep Kumar netted the sixth in the 79th. Chandla completed his hat-trick in the 85th, and Arshvir Singh added the final nail in the coffin in injury time (90+2'). Punjab thus finished top of Group C with nine points. They will face Mizoram in the quarter-final on Friday. (ANI)
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