With Services, Assam, Karnataka, Orissa and Punjab winning their last preliminary matches today, actions will be shifted at the Khuman Lampak Main stadium for the quarter final matches of the ongoing 58th National Football Championship for the LG Santosh Trophy 2002.

The five will join Manipur, Maharastra and West Bengal - who topped their respective groups - and defending champion Kerala, runners-up Goa and last edition's semi finalists Railways and Tamil Nadu for the quarter final clashes commencing from October 25.

Tripura defeated Haryana in another match but finished second behind group winner Services.Today also witnessed three North Eastern States biting the dust and will join 14 others in packing their bags for the journey back home. Arunachal Pradesh, Andaman & Nicobar and Daman & Diu failed to show up for the championship.

In the Mizoram versus Punjab cluster III match at THAU ground, Thangmeiband, strikers of both sides found the going tough as the defenders guarded their fort stoically cutting short their forays.Punjab, however took the initiatives attempting from the top of Mizoram penalty box.

A 20 yard stinger from Harish Sharma ii the 15th minute was palmed out by Mizoram custodian Zothantluanga in the nick of time diving full length to his left.The Mizoram cross bar denied Punjab's opening goal as a Parveen Kumar drive beat Zothantluanga thudded off the bar.Gurjit Singh Atwal also shot straight at the 'keeper from a Raghubir Singh cross.

Mizoram had the better of exchanges after the break but goal scoring prove elusive as the tall Punjab defenders made their task more arduous.The best chance for Mizoram to go ahead came in 57th minute when Benjamin Zonunsiama essayed a defence splitting pass from the centre to Hmingthansang. He collected the ball, swerved sharply dodging Punjab's Sumit Bali. But with only the goalie to beat the Mizo striker stumbled in taking the shot giving enough time for the custodian to avert the danger.

With barely a minute left for the end of regulation time, Jaswant Singh found Kuldeep Singh unmarked near the top and relayed a cross. The latter unleashed a powerful drive to beat the outstretched hands of the Zothantluanga for the lone matchwinner.

The match took an ugly turn when a fuming captain and striker of Mizoram went for the opponent's leg instead of the ball. While the referee ignored two rough charges, he had no reservation in flashing out the red card to the skipper, for the third consecutive intentional foul during injury time.Gurjit Singh Atwal and Parveen Kumar also received yellow cards in the match.

Punjab had also defeated Madhya Pradesh on October 20 to top the group. Nagaland became the second NE State to be bundled out of the championship today as Orissa found the mark on three occasions in the cluster VIII tie at the same venue. Orissa with raids down the flanks through the fleet-footed M Santosh Ku Rao and Gyanaranjan Samal exposed the chinks in the Nagaland defence line. Orissa players also capitalized on the yawning gap in the middle due to non-efficiency of the opponent medios.

After a Santosh pass to Gyanaranjan rebounded off the Nagaland right post in the 35th minute, the latter opened the score account pushing home after side-stepping Nagaland goalie Zuthungo 3 minutes later. The scorer sprinted into the rival penalty area beating the offside trap laid by Nagaland defenders. Orissa increased the lead with Bhawani Prasad Mohanty directing a low cross from the right by Gyanranjan into the goal.

Nagaland did have some chance to reduce the goal deficit but faltered in taking the shots. M Francis muffed a sitter in the session with the Orissa goal wide open. Nagaland changed three players in the last quarter of the match to provide more impetus to the attack and recover from the two goal down but Orissa defenders stood their ground denying the opponent striker spaces to manoeuvre in the penalty zone. Orissa cemented its quarter final berth netting the third in the 86th minute with Gyanaranjan's second goal.

Strong title contender Services downed a spirited Sikkim by 3-0 at Mapal Kangjeibung in a cluster VI tie to register its second successive wins and a place in the quarters. Leading by a thirty-nine minute header by Jhoney P Gangmei off a Raghu Kumar cross from the right, Services pumped in another two in the second half.

First hattrict achiever of the LG Santosh Trophy Pritam Bahadur unleashed a power packed shot from the top of the box that crashed into the rival net for the second goal in the 56th.

Sikkim's endeavor to reduce the margin received a jolt as referee awarded a penalty to their opponent after defender Milan Subba tugged at Bikash Gurung's shirt inside the marked zone. Raehu converted the kick for the third goal in the 58th minute to sent Sikkim out of the championship. Referee flashed yellow card at Milan for the infringement.

Assam became the second North East State after hosts Manipur to enter the quarter finals registering a comfortable 3-0 win over Bihar in a cluster V match at the Mapal Kangjeibung.

A beautiful solo run started by Sanjiba Rongpi from the half way mark reached Utpal Basumatary inside the penalty zone. The latter coolly tapped home from close in the 6th minute. Assam custodian Sankar Barman and Kamal Chetry were booked in the first half.

After the changeover, Assam increased the lead with a Padam Brahma header in the 58th following a Utpal cross from the right. Sanjiba Rongpi slammed the comeback door for Bihar netting the third in the 79th minuje. Collecting a Utpal pass, Sanjiba beat a Bihar defender and the custodian to score with ease.

At ESU ground, Wangkhei, Karnataka dumped Gujarat 6-0 to collect maximum points from three engagements, having defeated Tripura and Haryana in their earlier matches. Dictating terms in the last cluster V match Sunil S ruffled the Gujarat net in the 30th minute to propel Karnataka ahead.

Taking further grip of the proceeding after resumption of second session, Karnataka players scored five more with Pradeep BV (53rd & 70th) and Dayananda SK (60th & 78th) doing the bulk of the scoring. Kanikaraj G found the target once in injury time. Earlier in the same cluster match at the very venue, Swapan Rai scored in each half for Tripura to defeat Haryana by the odd goal in three.

Satya Singh of Haryana evened the score two minutes after Tripura took the lead in the 36th. Swapan scored his second and decisive goal in the 77th minute.

The victory, however, failed to guide Tripura into the quarter final round as Karnataka topped the group with an all win record. Three Haryana and one Tripura player received the yellow cards for unsporting behaviour in the match.