Ernakulam to meet Malappuram in final

Joshua Thayil (centre, No. 9) scored a last-minute match-winner which carried host Ernakulam to the final of the Kerala State junior football championship in Kochi on Tuesday. Photo: Special arrangement
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement

Midfielder Joshua Thayil scored a last-minute match-winner as host Ernakulam defeated last year’s runner-up Thrissur 1-0 and entered the final of the 48^th Kerala State junior inter-district football championships at the Maharaja’s Stadium here on Tuesday.

Ernakulam will meet defending champion Malappuram in the final on Wednesday evening. Malappuram edged past Kasargod 7-6, via sudden death, in the other semifinal. The two teams were level 1-1 at the end of the regulation period.

The results (semifinals):

Ernakulam 1 (Joshua J. Thayil 70) bt Thrissur 0.

Malappuram 7 (Ajsal Rabeeh 60^th min; C.N. Hisham, Akfal Ajas, Sinan Jalees, Ajsal Rabeeh, Boss Thongbam Meitei in tiebreaker) bt Kasargod 6 (Rihan Abdul Azeez 9; M.V. Arjun, Muhammed Fasil, Rihan Azeez, Ummer Afaf, A.K. Muhammed in tiebreaker).

Thrissur v Palakkad final

THODUPUZHA: Down by a goal for a major part of its match, Thrissur bounced back with two goals in a 14-minute spell and entered the final of the Kerala State sub-junior football championship at Vengaloor on Tuesday.

Thrissur will meet Palakkad, which defeated Kannur 2-1, in Wednesday’s final.

The results (semifinals): Palakkad 2 (Mohammed Sinan 1, S. Abhinav 17) bt Kannur 1 (Goutham Krishna 28);

Thrissur 2 (Ziyan Rasheed 47, B. Jithu 60+1) bt Kozhikode 1 (Muhammed Safvan 8).