Imphal: Cup contenders Bengal, formidable Maharashtra and hosts Manipur sailed into the quarter-finals prevailing over their rivals in contrasting styles in the 58th National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy on Tuesday.

Bengal trounced Jammu and Kashmir 5-0 to top cluster one, while Maharashtra survived some anxious moments before pipping Meghalaya 3-2 in cluster two at the Polo Club Ground.

In the other match of the day, hosts Manipur rode on a Bijen Singh hat-trick to thrash Pondichery 9-0 and finish as champions of cluster four. Bengal striker Dipendu Biswas, who has been in scintillating form, netted thrice against a weak J & K to take his tally to seven from two matches.

Biswas had scored four goals when his team drubbed Rajasthan 7-0 in its tournament lung-opener. Surya Bikash Chakraborty and Anupam Sarkar got the other goals for the winners in the one-sided match.

Seizing the initiative from the outset, Bengal went into the lead in the fourth minute through Biswas who again found the target 21 minutes later to make the score line 2-0 at the breather.

Bengal kept up the tempo in the second half, and Chakraborty showed fine opportunism to score in the 65th minute. The goal left the J & K team completely demoralised and Bengal forwards yet again came calling at the rival goalmouth with Biswas increasing the margin in the 68th minute.

Sarkar then shot home in the 84th minute to make the final tally 5-0.

PTI