Border Security Force, Jalandhar, beat F C Kochin 1-0 in their first match in Group A in the Second Division National Football League at the Chandrasekharan Nair stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday.

The only goal of the match was scored by striker Ouseph in the ninth minute. He found the net with a superb 40-yard long ranger, past an onrushing goalkeeper Shibu Shanmugham.

In another match, South Zone winners State Bank of Travancore, Thiruvananthapuram, trounced North East Zone toppers Assam State Electricity Board 4-0.

After a rest day on Friday, BSF meet Air India while Assam State Electricity Board take on Tata Football Academy on March 29.

BSF dominated the first-half and controlled the pace, but could not sustain the tempo in the second-half.

Two FC Kochin players and one from BSF were shown yellow cards.

F C Kochin, who were demoted from the first division last year, had three players from Ghana. However, this did not yield the desired result. The Kochi team had only themselves to blame for the defeat, as they missed three chances in the fag end of the game.

BSF also let go a number of chances, with Ouseph missing the target in the 15th and 20th minutes of the second-half.

In the other match, barring a few lapses in defence, SBT dominated right through. Striker Ignatious put SBT in the lead in the third minute and increased the margin two minutes later.

Abdul Hakkim (29th minute) and sustitute Kabeer, in the dying minutes, completed the tally.