TN deny Delhi three points, remain sole-leader

Kolkata: Group leaders Tamil Nadu scored through M Ramesh in the dying minutes to hold Delhi 1-1 and remain on top of the table after their second quarterfinal league match in the 64th National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy at Yuba Bharati Krirangan. Following a drab first 45 minutes of play in which both the teams failed to score, Delhi went ahead in the 81st minute through substitute David Ngaihte. But Delhi looked complacent and their fragile defence failed to retain their lead as Tamil Nadu took seven minutes to equalise and end on a high. Delhi had a similar fate in their first Group B league match against hosts Bengal who struck late in the second half to deny them three points. In Group B, Tamil Nadu remain on lead with four points, while Delhi is on the second spot with two points. Bengal (1) and Mizoram (0) lie on the third, fourth spots respectively.Having beaten Mizoram 2-0 in their first outing, Tamil Nadu looked to score in the 23rd minute when PC Riju`s shot was saved by Delhi goalkeeper Pronoy Roy. Tamil Nadu had another chance to go up two minutes later but TH Pathiban hit the horizontal crosspiece as both teams took a cautious approach to see a goalless first-half. After the changeover, Delhi came close to scoring in the 57th minute when Mohender Singh`s right footer from inside the box was saved by Tamil Nadu goalkeeper A Arun Pradeep. Ngaihte was brought in place of Mohinder in the 71st minute and he went on to give Delhi the lead 10 minutes after coming into the ground. Following a shot pass from the right, Ngaihte beat an off-side trap to give Delhi the lead. But Delhi -- like in their last match against Bengal -- failed to retain the lead with Tamil Nadu stepping on the gas towards the later half. Ramesh, who was brought in place of CS Sabeeth in the 70th minute, scored with a curling right-footer to deny Delhi the win as both the teams settle for one each. The winners and runners-up of the group will battle it out with the top two teams from Group A in the knockout semifinals to be held on August 6. PTI