Excelsior Sports Correspondent
—Excelsior/Rakesh
JAMMU, Jan 6: New entrants Lone Star Kashmir Football Club (KFC) will lock horns with J&K Forest XI in the title clash of the XXIII State Football Championship, being organized by Jammu and Kashmir Football Association (JKFA) at GGM Science College football ground on January 8 here.
Two semifinal matches of XXIII State Championship in Football were played at GGM Science College football ground today between top 4 teams of the State, which were judged by large number of spectators and sports lovers.
In the first semis, new entrants Lone Star KFC, Srinagar clashed with DFA Srinagar XI.
The Lone Star KFC played a disciplined game and surprised the spectators and also the opponents by netting the goal through a well planned drive by Faisal in the 10th minute of the first half.
The players of DFA Srinagar XI strived hard to equalize the score, but failed and the first half ended with 1-0 goal.
In the second half, DFA Srinagar XI team played mind games and earned a penalty kick in the 44th minute, but its player Junaid failed to convert it into goal. The Lone Star held on to this slender lead and ended as winner and registered berth in the semis.
In the second semifinal match, the two rivals J&K Bank XI and J&K Forest XI met for the first time this season. As expected it was a hard, tough and high voltage match of the Championship and this Season also.
The 80-minutes game ended goalless and in the extra time of 15 minutes, players of both J&K Bank XI and J&K Forest XI could not raise the scoreboard.
The tie-breaker was enforced and from J&K Forest XI side, Rizwan, Mansoor and Umer scored goals, whileas from J&K Bank XI side, Danish, Thapa and Rizwan also netted three goals and equalized the score.
The sudden death was applied and Urfan of J&K Bank XI missed the chance, which was easily gained by Bilal of J&K Forest XI by netting the goal.
J&K Bank XI lost the match by 4-3 goals and paved way for J&K Forest XI to clash in the final match against Lone Star Kashmir Football Club on January 8 at same venue.
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