Mon Dec 30 04:21:40 UTC 2024: ## Kerala Storms into Santosh Trophy Final with Thrilling Win Over Manipur
**Hyderabad:** Kerala secured a place in the Santosh Trophy final after a convincing 5-1 victory over Manipur in a thrilling semi-final clash at the Gachibowli Stadium. Mohammed Roshan’s hat-trick, scored in the second half, proved pivotal in securing the win, making him the star of the match.
Kerala took an early lead with Naseeb Rahman scoring in the 22nd minute. However, Manipur equalized shortly after from a 29th-minute penalty. Mohammed Ajmal restored Kerala’s lead just before halftime.
Roshan’s brilliance in the second half sealed the win for Kerala. He scored his first goal in the 73rd minute, breaking through the Manipur defense, and added two more in the 88th and final minutes to complete his hat-trick.
This is Kerala’s 16th appearance in the Santosh Trophy final. They have won the title seven times and been runners-up eight times, with their last victory in 2022.
In the earlier semi-final, Bengal defeated defending champions Services 4-2, thanks to a double from Robbie Hansda, who was also named player of the match. Hansda is currently leading the tournament’s goal scoring chart with 11 goals.
The final between Kerala and Bengal will be held on December 31st at the Gachibowli Stadium.
First Piper 