By Shoubhik Mukhopadhyay
AIFF Media Team

CUTTACK: Manipur continued to show their domination in the Junior National Football Championship as they decimated Tamilnadu by an unassailable margin of 6-0 in the first semi-final at the Barabati Stadium today. Now they are slated to face the winners of the Second semi-final which will be played between homies Odisha and Haryana at the same venue today.

The first semi-final of the Junior National Football Championship started on a high note at the Barabati Stadium. Manipur took the control from the first minute itself and they took only 7 minutes to net the first goal against Tamilnadu.

Premi Chiru collected the ball from the middle and slotted it home to earn the early lead for the defending champions in the 7th minute.

Tamilnadu didn't hit the panic button and tried to give it back to the North-easterners. In the 17th minute, Sureka outran the Manipuri defender and provided a scintillating cross to Rasiga but the custodian Linthoingambi Devi came in between and averted the danger.

Manipur gaffer opted for the first change in the 33rd minute when she introduced Daya Devi at the expense of Rajni Bala Devi.

The girls went into the break with the same scoreline.

After the resumption, Tamilnadu girls hit the gas and went all out for the much-needed equaliser. In the 48th minute, Karthiga and Adghithi coordinated brilliantly but Manipur defenders neutralised the attack.

On the hour-mark, Vijayakumari curled the ball from the top of the box and Ageya had no answer to the immaculately taken long-ranger.

Having doubled the lead with thirty minutes left, Manipur eves hit the gas to extend their lead.

Four minutes later, Daya Devi tapped it home from close range to justify her selection. Tamilnadu should have gained the remote of the match by then, should they kept their hope of advancing to the final alive but unfortunately they failed to do so.

In the 71st minute, Tamilnadu tried to penetrate the Manipur defence line but the seasoned custodian showed her bravado to keep the scoreline unscathed.

With nine minutes left, Ratanbala Devi netted her first today which took her tally to 19 in this tournament. Two minutes later, Kashmina stunned the goalie and etched her name in the scoresheet.

Kashmina missed the net by a whisker two minutes which left the Manipur bench aghast.

The goal feast continued as Ratanbala Devi scored another in the dying minutes. The jaded Tamilnadu girls could not find an answer to the scintillating brand football of Manipur till the final whistle.