Substitute Jesin TK strikes five times as Kerala enter final

Substitute Jesin TK scored an unprecedented five goals as fancied Kerala overcame a deficit to hammer Karnataka 7-3 and storm into the final of the Santosh Trophy national football championship here on Thursday.Kerala will face the winner of the second semifinal between West Bengal and Manipur in the title clash on Monday.

Substitute Jesin TK scored an unprecedented five goals as fancied Kerala overcame a deficit to hammer Karnataka 7-3 and storm into the final of the Santosh Trophy national football championship here on Thursday.

Kerala will face the winner of the second semifinal between West Bengal and Manipur in the title clash on Monday. Jesin, brought on in the 30th minute, scored a hat-trick within 15 minutes to power Kerala into a 4-1 lead at half-time. Making the ISL scouts sit up and take note, he scored two more as the hosts comfortably claimed the 10-goal match at the Manjeri Payyanad Stadium.

Karnataka drew first blood when their skipper Sudheer Kotikela scored against the run of play in the 24th minute.

Unbeaten in the championship, hosts Kerala then took complete control of the game and dominated their opponents until the final whistle.