Punjab, Kerala in last 8

Punjab thrashed Haryana 5-2 in a Group 'C' match in the 11th National women's football championship in Chennai on Friday evening.

The result allowed Kerala to sneak through to the next stage.

Haryana needed either a draw or loss by less  than a two-goal difference to progress to the next stage. But the 5-2 defeat did them in.

Thus, Punjab and Kerala joined Goa and Karnataka (Group A), Assam and Maharashtra (Group B) and Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh (Group D) in the quarter-final league, where defending champions Manipur, last year's finalists  Orissa and Bihar and West Bengal (semi-finalists) will play.

In the Punjab-Haryana match, Punjab, spearheaded by strikers Gurmeet Kaur, one of the best players on view in the championship, and Arti and Harkamal controlled the game from the beginning. Aarti (2), Gurmeet Kaur, Harkamal Kaur and Sharanjit Kaur netted for Punjab while Pooja Jain scored twice for Haryana.

In the other matches, Tamil Nadu, helped by six goals including a hat-trick from Shalini, overwhelmed Rajasthan 15-0, the highest margin of victory in 18 matches in the championship.

Apart from Shalini, S Vasanthi (4), Sri Brindha (2), S Poonkodi, Thamim Unnisa and Sushila netted a goal each.

Assam came from behind to beat Maharashtra 2-1 to top the group.

After Maharashtra went into the lead in the 39th minute through Laura Estibeiro, Anjana Saika and Pegu won the match for Assam.

After a day's rest tomorrow, the quarter-final league will begin from Sunday.