Itanagar UNI Mar 10
Services lifted the Santosh Trophy for the seventh time, beating Goa 1-0 in the 77th National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy Final at the Golden Jubilee Stadium here on Saturday night.
More than 15,000 passionate fans thronged the stadium to witness an exciting final, which had chances aplenty at both ends, but took a thunderous strike from Services’ Shafeel PP to make all the difference.’ The match was watched by the honourable Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Pema Khandu, All India Football Federation President, Kalyan Chaubey, and members of the AIFF.
There were no final-day nerves from either side as the game started with end-to-end action, with both goalkeepers making some early saves.
As early as the sixth minute, Vijay J’s cutback was met by Samir Murmu’s shot, which was easily saved by Antonio Inacio da Silva in the Goan goal. At the opposite end, Mahammad Faheez tried his luck from 20 yards only for Sayad bin Abdul Kadir to collect comfortably.
Then it was da Silva’s turn to make a save again as he held Vijay’s strike from the edge of the box. For Goa, Laximanrao Rane had the first real chance to score as he side-footed wide of the far post with only the goalkeeper to beat.
It was Goa who finished the first half stronger. Faheez’s dipping cross from the right was met with a first-time right-footed shot from Necio Fernandes, but it was straight at Kadir.
The Services goalkeeper was called into action again at the stroke of half-time, making a good save to keep out another Faheez effort from close range.
But the wind started to flow on Services’ side in the second half as they started to pile more pressure on the Goan goal. In the 50th minute, Shubham Rana’s left-footed strike from a narrow angle landed in the safe palms of da Silva.
Shafeel PP’s moment of magic finally arrived in the 67th minute. Receiving a pass from Rahul Ramakrishnan around 25 yards out, the 26-year-old didn’t think twice and struck it first time with his laces. The ball fizzed right into the bottom corner, leaving da Silva with no chance and putting Services into a deserved lead.
