Central Railway triumph

In the final, Central were the dominant side and they created opportunities early. Their mid-field controlled the pace of the match. Arif Ansari, Masood Mohammad and Asif, who were playing behind the strikers, Pradeep Saha and Augusto D’Silva.

The Central Railway goal came in the second half of the extra time. Asif Jamal started a move from left and passed to substitute Arshad Ansari whose’s on-the-run shot struck a SER defender and ball rolled towards an unmarked Arif. He made no mistake, beating the South-Easterngoalkeeper Sumit Chowdhury.

The SER midfield, which had done a splendid job coming into the final, were unable to combine as fluidly as they did in the previous matches. The hard-working Surjit Tigga was a marked man today, blocked out by Central defender Ameer Lolitkar.

Central were the first to take try at the goal. In the fifth minute, D’Silva backheeled to Saha but the latter’s shot was safely gathered by SER goalkeeper Chowdhry.

The duo of Saha and D’Silva were again in the thick of action when Arif’s cross to D’Silva was laid down for Saha whose shot flew over the bar. In the 36th minute, Masood set up D’Silva and his volley was punched away by Chowdhury.

In the second-half, Central Railway coach I Vaz brought in substitutes Hamid Ansari and Arshad. Saha, who was doing well in the first-half, was guilty of wasting two scoring chances in the second. On the first occasion, he was late to react and on the second, he connected the cross from Asif to hit straight into goalkeeper.

Asif was unluckyas his header on a corner hit the bar and went away in the 75th minute. In extra-time, Arshad’s shot on a cross from Asif could only found the bar. The best of scoring chance came to substitute Hamid. Asif sent a long cross from the left, unmarked Hamid volley from seven-yard could not find the target. His shot flew from close range.