MUMBAI, SEPT 26: Chandigarh and Karnataka, both with a degree of comfort, qualified for the semi-finals of the BoB-sponsored 31st Junior Women's National hockey championship at the Mahindra Stadium, Churchgate, today.Chandigarh steamrolled Mumbai with a superb display by inside-right Nisha Chavan and centre-forward Jyoti Bali. The two with their speed, skill and deadly understanding made a mockery of the rival defenders. Jyoti (4) helped herself to a hat-trick following fine promptings by Nisha who scored a brace. Left-half Asha and left-winger Dimple Thakur chipped in with a goal each.Karnataka, the conquerors of Punjab in Pool C, dished in another fine performance. Today's 2-1 score against Delhi is misleading as they held absolute sway right through the encounter. Inside-left Kumari, who did not score, caught the eye with her fine stickwork and constructive play.Earlier, Haryana earned a quarter-final meeting with Pool B winners Bihar when they moved past Pepsu in the two-team Pool A.In Pool H,Manipur, who were held to a 1-1 draw by Maharashtra yesterday, found their bearings today and whipped West Bengal 6-0. They now await tomorrow's outcome of the game between Maharashtra and Bengal. Maharashtra have to beat Bengal by a margin of 7-0 to earn the remaining quarter-final slot.Mumbai caught a sorry figure against Chandigarh today. They could do nothing right and succumbed without a fight. International Nishi Chauhan was starved of passes from the halves and she herself had to assist her own defence from cutting off the swift thrusts of the opponents time and again.Chandigarh opened their account in the very third minute. Nisha broke free and beat Mumbai goalkeeper Vallaki Dalvi with an angular reverse hit.Nishi did the spadework for centre-forward Jyoti Bali to score from handshaking distance in the 17th minute and again in the 24th Nishi served the ball on platter for Jyoti to make it 3-0 and virtually write off Mumbai hopes of a fightback.Jyoti completed her hat-trick before theinterval with a fine individual thrust. Asha, Nishi, Jyoti and Dimple scored in that order after the change of ends.KARNATAKA DAZZLE: Centre-forward Mukta gave Karnataka a deserving lead in the 29th minute. She was at hand to score when Delhi goalkeeper Neha stopped the ball following a long corner hit.Delhi neutralised the lead in the 33rd minute through substitute Anju who had replaced inside-left Sangeeta. Anju's powerful hit flew to the top of the roof of the goal.The Karnataka match-winner came early in the second-half. Elena Christy scored the opportunistic goal after right-winger Shruti's try was stopped but not cleared away by Delhi goalkeeper Neha.HARYANA MARCH AHEAD: Haryana were awarded 12 penalty-corners but they failed to put them to good use. They snatched the lead through a stroke which was awarded after inside-right Balwinder Kaur was blocked by defender Hardeep Kaur. Suman Bala converted the stroke without much ado. In the second-half Suman Bala, captain Meenakshi,Monika and Balwinder completed the rout.MANIPUR SCORE: Manipur left nothing to chance today. They attacked with gusto right from the start and were two goals up at the interval. Inside-left Bedamani C (2), Centre-forward Romil H, left-winger Bembem P, left-back Premila Thokchom and right-winger Ajanta Akham were the goal-getters.
