ASPL CRICKET
Guwahati/Nagaon, July 7: FC Green Valley, Guwahati, came back from two goals down to clinch a 3-2 victory against Rhino FC, Golaghat, while Morning Star Football Club, Diphu, tamed Tezpur United Football Club 4-0 in two quarter-final matches of the first Assam State Premier League football tournament.
Rhino got an early lead of two goals at Nehru Stadium as Green Valley took a little too long to gain a foothold in the match. The Golaghat men struck in the second minute through Bishal Hojai. They got their second goal through Sirandeep Moran in the 24th minute.
However, the home side bounced back half-an-hour into the match and striker Michael Lucky Kelechukwu reduced the margin with a 36th minute goal when he managed to beat advancing custodian Rakesh Karmakar by lobbing a pass from skipper Lucky Imran overhead into the net.
Trailing by a goal in the second half, Green Valley found the equaliser right in the very first minute through Rudra Boro who made no mistake in following through to tap in a George Prince shot.
The second half saw Green Valley dominate and they managed to make several inroads. However, Rudra Boro and George Prince squandered several scoring opportunities till the latter managed to ruffle the net in the last minute off a pass from Lucky Imran.
A draw or a win in the away match at Golaghat on July 11 will take Green Valley into the semi-finals while even a 1-0 victory for Rhino FC can see them through to the semi-finals by virtue of their two goals in the away match today.
At Karbi Anglong Sports Association ground in Diphu, Morning Star led 1-0 till the end of the first half with a goal from Lachit Bora off a flagkick from striker Kivito in the 44th minute.
Kivito netted the second and fourth goals of the match in the 54th and 69th minutes. Kivito's hattrick attempt in the 88th minute rebounded off the crossbar.
Midfielder Sibra Narzary's shot from inside the box brought the third goal for the home team in the 55th minute.
Kickboxing meet: The sixth annual general meeting of the Assam Kickboxing Association will be held at Sonaram HS School here on July 20.
