A moment from the match between OIL (in white) and SAI at Nehru Stadium in Guwahati on Wednesday. Picture by UB Photos

AIRTEL ASPL

Guwahati, March 7: Playmaker Manas Manjit Chetia netted five goals to help OIL FC humiliate a listless SAI (Kokrajhar) 9-0 in a Group B match of the 4th Airtel Assam State Premier League at Nehru Stadium here today.

The fleet-footed striker opened the account in the second minute of the match as he caught the SAI defenders napping. Four minutes later, Manas capitalised on another opening to make it 2-0. Having gained the momentum early, OIL ruffled the net once again in the 12th minute, with the stout F. Wary joining the party and making the score 3-0.

The next phase of play till the lemon break, however, saw the Kokrajhar boys put up some resistance but their moves never looked threatening.

In the second half, OIL dominated proceedings from the outset as Manas conjured up a hattrick as he made it 4-0 via a back volley off a high ball from Zaidin Hmar in the 57th minute. Two minutes later, Manas scored his fourth goal, thanks to a defence lapse.

In the driver’s seat at 5-0, the Duliajan men literally toyed with their opponents who by then hardly had any hope of making a comeback. In the 70th minute, Manas seized another opportunity as he scored his fifth goal without much effort.

Three minutes later came Zaidin’s moment as he found an open goal to make it 7-0. But the best goal of the match came from stopper Jyotish Basumatary’s foot as he dribbled past three defenders to score OIL’s eighth goal. The misery didn’t end there for the SAI boys as Birjab Mushahary headed a high ball off Manas into the net to make it 9-0 in the 86th minute.

Tomorrow, ASEB FC will take on FCI SC. In an evenly fought Group A match played at the Karbi Anglong Sports Association (KASA) stadium in Diphu, Assam Police Blues were held to a goalless draw.

Table tennis: The Guwahati Sports Association is organising the Mohan Chandra Das & Sarala Bala Das All-Guwahati inter-club table tennis and Guwahati Open table tennis championship at the ABITA Indoor Stadium here from April 6 to 8. The categories are mini cadet boys and girls, cadet boys and girls, sub-junior boys and girls, junior boys and girls, men and women.