Oct 3: Air-India retained their Western India Football Association Super Division title at the Cooperage today, holding challengers Central Railway goalless.In an earlier match on the concluding day of the Gulf Oil-sponsored league, Herbert Philip scored in the last minute to take Mahindras to the third spot, bettering their fifth placing last year. Philip's late strike deemed Bank of India to fourth spot a fall of two places from last year.The airmen needed just a draw today while the railwaymen needed to win. If A-I defenders stood tall to deny Central, it was goalkeeper Ragu Khanolkar who ensured A-I did not finish with a win.A minute before half-time, Khanolkar sprung into action in a manner to give any high-jumper a complex as he pushed a header by Nitin Shetty over the bar.He, however, almost undid all the good work a few minutes after the start of the second half. Running to the centre-line to tackle Shetty, trying to make some use of a throw from N Khenthang, Khanolkar went down. Fortunately for Central, the Air-India forward, bursting into the box with the ball, was tackled successfully by Sadanand Kakodkar, a pillar of strength in defence.Jose had earlier sold a dummy in the 20th minute after receiving a cross from the right from Abbas Ali Rizvi which was cleared by a Railway defender. The striker was later substituted by a half-fit Godfrey Pereira.Pereira made little difference to the proceedings, though. He did take a splendid corner-kick which found its way straight to the solid Khanolkar. And having added considerable weight, he lacked the flexibility to succeed in his scissor kick during injury time off a cross from Subir Sinha from the left.More than the airmen, it was Central Railway who needed to score. Augusto D'Silva, whose goal in the dying minutes of the game against RCF on Wednesday brought the railwaymen this close to the title, never got the opening he was looking for. Twice he found himself out of position.In the 30th minute, Dwyane Sequira and Asif Jamal combined well but D'Silva moved too far up for the resultant Jamal cross. And he was too slow to react to a pass from Ameer Lotlikar, who moved up on the left in the 58th minute. Jamal still looked shaky from an attack of flu that has plagued him for the past few days. He, however, did provide the best opening for Central in the 80th minute with a long ball for Shanta Kumar right across the field when he was almost completely unsighted by three Air-India defenders. The unsuspecting Kumar was, however, immediately dispossessed.Air-India finished with 27 points (seven wins, one loss, six draws) and collected Rs 25,000 for their efforts. Central Railway had to be rest content with Rs 17,000 for their 25 points (six wins, one loss, seven draws).BoI finish fourth, followed by Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers, Union Bank of India, Maharashtra State Police and Western Railway.
