Imphal, August 12: Late strikes by Pintu Mahata and Sreyas V.G. helped Indian Navy FT rally from behind to defeat local favourites TRAU FC 2-1 and secure a quarterfinal berth in the 134th Durand Cup on Tuesday. The victory also ensured the Navy men topped Group F with seven points, edging out Real Kashmir FC, who finished with six.
TRAU drew first blood in the 29th minute when Jenish Singh’s long ball found Yumnam Monis Singh, whose low cross was expertly finished by Moirangthem Nelson Singh past Navy custodian Bhaskar Roy. Despite dominating play, the Navy side’s final touch was missing, with several attempts thwarted by TRAU’s resolute defence and goalkeeper Sapam Nongpoknganba Singh, who denied efforts from Vijay Marandi and an audacious 40-yard free kick by Adarsh Matummal that struck the inside of the post.
The second half saw relentless Navy pressure, but Bhaskar Roy was also called into action early, tipping away a close-range header from Afridi Buyamayum. As the match entered its closing stages, TRAU’s resistance was finally broken in the 87th minute when Sreyas slipped a pass to Pintu, who toe-poked home the equaliser.
The decisive moment came in the third minute of injury time, when C. Pradeesh delivered a looping left-footed cross that Sreyas met with an acrobatic finish, sparking celebrations among the Navy contingent and silencing the partisan home crowd. The win capped a gripping contest marked by end-to-end action, defensive heroics, and a dramatic finale that sealed Indian Navy FT’s progression to the knockouts.
