Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir have kicked-off their 68th Santosh Trophy 2014 North Zone Group B qualifying campaigns with a win on Friday.

Match 1 | Punjab 2-1 Himachal Pradesh

Eight-time champions Punjab avoided a potential banana skin as they scraped past Himachal Pradesh 2-1 in a North Zone Group B match of the 68th National Championships for the Santosh Trophy at the Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi on Friday.

Left back Aftabvir Singh scored the winner moments before the final whistle turning in Harpreet Singh’s cross. Minutes earlier, Himachal’s Chandan Kumar had cancelled out Sandip Singh’s opening goal.

A goalkeeping gaffe in the 90th minute helped Chandan Kumar make amends for his 66th minute miss as he prodded home Punjab custodian Satvir Singh’s spill from close.

The white shirts could have taken the lead in the 66th minute had striker Chandan’s placement from close not hit the vertical.

Only a minute later, Himachal were made to pay for their spurn as Sandip nodded in striker Taranjit Singh’s flag kick from the right. Sandip made the most of some porous defending as he was left unmarked at the far post.

In the first half Punjab forward Gagandeep Singh missed a gilt-edged opportunity in the 5th minute sending his free header inches wide from a Gurpreet Singh cutback.

Match 2 | Jammu and Kashmir 3-0 Uttar Pradesh

In the other match of the day, Jammu & Kashmir strolled to victory against Uttar Pradesh to log three points in their opening game.

Goals either side of half-time from forward Shahid Mushtaq, right winger Asif Majeed and substitute striker Taufeeq Ahmed ensured the white shirts were not left to rue their profligacy in front of goal especially in the second period when Shahid failed to get the better of the rival goalkeeper on two one-on-one chances and Prem Kumar shot wide with the goalkeeper well beaten.

At the other end Uttar Pradesh failed to test J&K goalkeeper Vikramjeet Singh with their best chance coming at the end of the first session when striker Sumit Kumar Dubey fired agonisingly wide off a Suresh Patel through ball.

(Report & Picture courtesy AIFF Media)