Durand Cup: Vasco SC, Tuff Laxmi Prasad qualify for knockouts

Mapusa: Vasco SC and Tuff Laxmi Prasad scored victories in their respective matches to qualify for the quarter-finals league cum knock out stage of the 127th Durand Cup, here on Sunday.

Vasco SC found the net in each half to down AIFF U-19 and while in another match later in the day, Tuff Laxmi Prasad beat Sesa Football Academy by a solitary goal to make it to the next stage.

Tuff Laxmi Prasad who dominated the proceeding from the start scored the match winner in the 25th minute when Prajot Naik cross into the box for Seriton Fernandes whose shot beat rival defender Isac before going into the net.

The third team to make it to the next stage will be decided tomorrow as semi-finals losers AIFF and Sesa Football Academy will clash for the last available spot.

The winners will join last year's winner Mohammedan Sportings, I-League Champions Bengaluru FC, Salgaocar FC, Sporting Clube de Goa, Churchill Brothers, Pune FC, United SC, Air-India and Indian Navy in the knockout stage, which will commence from October 29 at Rai ground.

AIFF enjoyed ball possession for better part of the match and probed more often but could not penetrate into the rival goal. Their strikers either failed to score clear chances or the rival keeper Francis Fernandes made brilliant saves.

Vasco surged ahead early in the match in the 3rd minute when rival keeper Nishu Kumar miskicked while trying to clear a long goalmouth ball, the ball spinned and fell on the path of unmarked Jerose Oliveira who shot home from close.

The AIFF boys kept on the pressure till the end and Rakesh Oram who missed two clear chances earlier had two more easy chances towards the end but he missed the first infront of the goal as he drove the ball out with only keeper at his mercy and latter his shot was tipped over by keeper Francis Fernandes.