The Republicans were given the jitters for a brief while by HOC before prevailing 5-2 while Indian Airlines brushed aside a slow BEST 2-0 in the other quarter-final.

Mahesh Lokhande scored one and set up two in a sparkling performance for Republicans who should have scored more than the five that they managed. Sitting pretty with a 3-0 lead at half-time, the Republicans ran into trouble as HOC found sudden inspiration after the breather.

In a smart piece of work, M Gole's penalty corner push was sent right back by P Patnaik, leaving the Republican defenders confused. Gole found the gap to the goalkeeper's left, seven minutes into the second-half.

Two minutes later, V Mulik scored off a centre from Avduth Mhatre to bring the scores tantalisingly close at 2-3 with the Republicans leading.

It would have been even closer had the steadyRepublicans goalkeeper R Sequira not padded away a fierce shot by Gole in the 29th minute, the only bright spot in HOC's first-half performance.

But the young Republican team struck back in style to destroy any hopes that HOC might have had of a win. Rohit Charles scored off a Lokhande pass in the 54th minute while Lokhande added the icing five minutes from time with a brilliant solo. After a brief tussle for possession, even as the HOC players waited for the whistle, Lokhande waded through the immobile defence and scored. Earlier, Savio Nayak had opened the proceedings in the seventh minute with the skilful Junet Jada having done the spadework while Lokhande, again, set up Bosco Pereira for the second in the 14th minute.

IA win: Left-out Shailendra Joshi slammed in two blinding shots in the first minute and five minutes from the hooter to see Indian Airlines (IA) through. The 18-year-old from Rizvi School propelled IA to the semi-finals against Bombay Republicans C.