Tuff Laxmi Prasad in semi-finals

N D Opera scored twice in the second half to help Tuff Laxmi Prasad post a thumping 4-0 win over Army Green in Group A preliminary qualifying round match and enter the semi-finals of the 127th Durand Cup.
The continuous rains since yesterday evening had made things difficulty for both the teams but the Army men could adjust better to the conditions.
The Army men, in fact, put pressure on the home team with raids mostly from the right flank but lack of experience saw their moves fade away, even as the home team defenders led by Chika Wali stood tall and dealt well with the aerial ball.

Although Army Green made more raids, it was the Tuff Laxmi Prasad that managed to surge ahead in the 30th minute when Seriton Fernandes, who received a long pass from Siddarth Kundaikar inside the box, dribbled past two rivals defenders and the keeper to put the ball into the empty net.
Tuff Laxmi Prasad were leading 1-0 at half time.
After the change of ends, Tuff Laxmi Prasad increased the lead in the 54th minutes as Opera netted the ball.

Opera then scored a brace when rival defender Linesh P V and keeper Kanwaljit Singh failed to intercept a long lob into the box. Opera pounced on the loose ball and shot into the empty net in the 80th minute to take the match away from the visitors.

Mackroy Piexoto then completed the rout when he chipped the ball from the right and sailed it into the net beating the keeper in the 87th minute.
Tuff Laxmi Prasad will now take on the winner of the Pool C match between Sesa Academy and Army Red.