Mizoram rode on a solitary goal by Beingaichho Beokhokhei to show five-time champions Kerala [ Images ] the exit in the 64th National Football Championship, for the Santosh Trophy, at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata [ Images ] on Wednesday.

East Bengal forward Beokhokhei scored the decisive goal in the 62nd minute.

Mizoram thus joined last year's runners-up Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Delhi [ Images ] in Group B of the quarter-final league that gets underway on Thursday.

Having beaten Assam 5-2 in their last match to make the last 16, Mizoram dominated right from the start and, barring occasional sparkle, Kerala could not make inroads.

The North-East outfit were impressive in the first 45 minutes but their strikers could not convert their chances inside the Kerala box.

Kerala had a couple of opportunities but K Rakesh and M P Sakeer drew blanks.

After the changeover, Beokhokhei had a solo run. The striker deceived the Kerala defenders and goalkeeper K Sarath to find the back of Kerala net and settle the issue.