Services defeated Karnataka 1-0, while Goa hammered Maharashtra 5-0 to complete the semi-final line-up in the 63rd National Football Championship, for the Santosh Trophy, at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, in Chennai on Sunday.
Last year's runners-up Services will take on 29 times champions Bengal in the first semi-final on Wednesday while four-time winners Goa face hosts Tamil Nadu in the second last four match on Thursday.
In the match between Services and Karnataka, it was the former who started the game on an attacking note and got two chances early on but Shaji D Silva shot over the post on both occasions.
Services had the best chance of the match to score in the sixth minute but Shaji on a one-on situation with Karnataka custodian Gumpe Rime chipped the ball over the bar after receiving a cross from Mahesh Rai.
Services were the better side and in 28th minute Laldingliana gave them the lead, making no mistake in converting a spot-kick after Raleng was brought down by Naveen Babu inside the box.
Karnataka came out with more purpose in the second half and played a composed game with neat short passes. However, it was Services who found the net in the 54th minute but were unlucky as the goal was disallowed with the referee finding Sajith guilty of handling the ball.
In the last 15 minutes of the match, Karnataka had four chances coming their way but Dada Nabeel and captain Xavier Vijaya Kumar either missed the target or shot straight into the hands of the Services custodian Sujan Suku.
Earlier in the day, a hat-trick by Marcus Mascarenhas helped Goa hammer Maharashtra 5-0.
A down and out Maharashtra were dealt further blow in when Bevan D'Mello opened the scoring in the 19th minute, heading in a Nicholas Rodrigues corner.
Ten minutes later Bevan doubled the margin and another six minutes hence, Mascarenhas took over.
A cross from Wilton Gomes left the Maharashtra defence high and dry and Mascarenhas tapped the ball in to open his account.
Goa went into the breather with a 3-0 lead and returned hungry for more.
Mascarenhas earned his second when he darted in to collect a long ball, side-stepped the onrushing goalkeeper Amit Nandi to slot the ball into the net in the 54th minute.
With Maharashtra reeling under the onslaught, Goa pressed forward and had they utilised the chances that came their way, could have won by a greater margin.
Mascarenhas completed his hat-trick at the stroke of the final whistle. The Sesa Football Academy striker collected Bevan's cross to put the finishing touches on Maharashtra's campaign in this edition of the Santosh Trophy.
