CHENNAI, OCT 4: Even as the contests continued to be prosaic and one-sided, semifinalists were spotted in the 49th Bank of Baroda Senior National Women's Hockey Championship here today.Ten time champions Indian Railways will lock horns with Punjab, while Mumbai will come face to face with Haryana in the semifinals tomorrow.
In the quarterfinals today, reigning champions Railways, who were given a bye to the last eight, made mincemeat of Chandigarh -- 8-0 -- after leading three goals at half time, while Punjab blanked Orissa by four goals.
In the other matches, Haryana scored at will against a listless Uttar Pradesh winning by ten goals without reply and Mumbai struck once in each half to pack off runners-up Bihar, who along with Railways were seeded directly to the quarterfinals.
What started off as a close affair turned into a virtual one-sided game as Mumbai avenged the 0-9 loss they suffered at the hands of Bihar in the last Nationals at Delhi.
Off a pass from the right, Paulina Surin, with apronounced body swerve, came up with a reverse flick from the top of the circle and the ball landed in the far right top of the net, beating the diminutive `keeper Nauri Mundu.
Mumbai sealed the fate of Bihar when full back Jyoti Dodrai scored off a penalty corner at the fag end of the match.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.