West Bengal and Bihar splits points as the last Group C fixtures of the ongoing Santosh Trophy ended in a 0-0 tie on Wednesday afternoon, November 20, at the Kalyani Stadium. With this result, West Bengal advanced to the next round, securing the top position in the group with 7 points from 3 matches and a total of 11 goals.
In today’s match against Bihar, West Bengal head coach Sanjay Sen made three changes to the starting lineup. Basudeb Mandi, Narohari Shreshta, and Amarnaath Baskey started the match in place of Suprodip Hazra, Manotos Maji, and Abusufian. Both teams began the match with an offensive football strategy. From the start, Bihar’s goalkeeper Sunny Raj looked confident and stood strong.
In the 35th minute, Bihar created a scoring opportunity from a corner. Off the rebound from the corner kick, Irfan Alam took a long shot that went just inches over the crossbar. It was Bihar’s best chance of the match.
Within three minutes, West Bengal earned a penalty kick. Amarnath Baskey entered the eighteen-yard box from the left flank, where Arif Khan stopped him roughly. Rabi Hansda took the penalty kick but missed as his shot hit the crossbar.
In the second half, in the 65th minute, West Bengal had a great opportunity from a free kick. Israfil Dewan took the free kick from the left and delivered the ball to the far post. Juwel Ahmed attempted a header but missed the chance to score the opener. West Bengal started dominating with ball possession and attacking play, but Bihar’s defense stood strong and determined.
In the 79th minute, from Narohari Shreshta’s through ball, Amarnath Baskey made a run and entered the box. In a one-on-one situation, he attempted a shot, but goalkeeper Sunny Raj made a great save.
In the final moments of the match, during added time in the 90+2nd minute, Narohari Shreshta delivered a low cross from the left into the box for substitute Manotos Maji. However, before Maji could take a shot, Bihar’s defender Anil Kumar cleared the ball away. It could have been an own goal, but the ball went wide.
Based on today’s results, with 2 wins and one draw, West Bengal has secured its place in the final round of the Santosh Trophy 2024-25.
