Kerala midfielder Jithin Gopalakrishnan, centre, who scored two objectives, tries to shake off his markers within the Santosh Trophy Group ‘A’ match towards Jammu and Kashmir in Benaulim, Goa on Friday.
| Picture Credit score: Particular association
Midfielder Jithin Gopalakrishnan scored twice as Kerala crushed Jammu and Kashmir 6-1 for its second win within the Group ‘A’ league of the 77th Santosh Trophy Nationwide soccer championship on the SAG Benaulim Floor right here on Friday.
Kerala, which blanked Gujarat 3-0 in its opener on Wednesday, is now on prime of the five-team group with six factors from two wins. Former champion Kerala meets Chhattisgarh subsequent on October 15.
In the meantime, host Goa, which beat Chhattisgarh 1-0 in its opener earlier, was pressured to a 1-1 draw by Gujarat in one other Group ‘A’ match on Friday. That outcome ought to now make Kerala a favorite to prime the highest.
The group topper will routinely qualify for the 12-team foremost section which can be held in Arunachal Pradesh later this yr. Three of the perfect second-placed groups from the six teams can even enter the ultimate section and becoming a member of them can be defending champion Karnataka, final version’s runner-up Meghalaya and host Arunachal Pradesh.
The outcomes: Kerala 6 (Jithin Gopalakrishnan 8 & 55; E. Sajeesh 14, Muhammed Ashiq Shoukathali 45+1, Okay. Abdu Raheem 67, Riswanali Edakkavil 74) bt Jammu & Kashmir 1 (Faizal Maqsood Thakur 61).
Goa 1 (Jobern Cardozo 90+9) drew with Gujarat 1 (Chunsaba Bariam 58).
