New Delhi, Sep 17 - A tired Churchill Brothers came from behind to manage a 1-1 draw against an energetic Assam Rifles and sailed into the semi-finals of the Durand Cup football tournament here Thursday.

The stress of playing back-to-back tournaments was apparent on the faces of the I-League champions. Meikingai Kamei's stinging right footer in the 55th minute gave Assam Rifles the lead in the Group I quarterfinal league match.

The lead, however, lasted just 15 minutes after Charan Rai scored from a solo run as last year's runners-up Churchill Brothers made the last four.

Churchill Brothers made a slow start and never looked like a team that had won the IFA Shield Saturday. Star striker Odafe Onyeka Okolie was heavily guarded while the speedy Assam Rifles forwards Kamei and Akum Ao making regular inroads into the Churchill box but an alert stopper Gourmangi Singh kept them at bay.