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Minerva Punjab were crowned champions of the I-League 2017-18 season as they registered a well earned 1-0 victory over Churchill Brothers on Thursday. William Opoku scored the only goal of the match and relegated Churchill to the lower division.
From languishing at the bottom of the points table last season, Minerva turned the tide around and have been rewarded for their consistency and never say die attitude. Here are the major talking points from today's nail-biting clash.
#1 Scrappy start as both teams eager to impress
Two teams at the opposite ends of the points table - Minerva Punjab and Churchill brothers were involved in a dogfight on Thursday. Both sides came out all guns blazing with intentions of controlling the game from the get-go.
This similar attacking approach meant they negated each other's impact and it resulted in a few scrappy opening minutes. Minerva did well to enter dangerous areas in the final third but failed to execute the final pass.
Churchill, on the other hand, attempted to break on the counter time and again. Unfortunately for them, the men in red did not commit enough numbers initially and as a result didn't test the opposition as much as they would have liked.
#2 William Opoku gives Minerva a crucial lead
One could sense it was coming. As the minutes passed, Minerva looked more dangerous and Churchill looked more sluggish. The visitors were eventually punished for some shoddy defending in the final third.
In a game of such high stakes, the team that holds together is the team that triumphs. The Goan outfit gifted Minerva the lead inside the first 20 minutes. Girik Khosla managed to create chaos just outside the box which enabled Chencho to try his luck from an acute angle down the right wing.
Churchill keeper, Ricardo Cardozo failed to hold on to a weak shot and the loose ball fell kindly to William Opoku who kept his cool and slotted it into an empty net. He followed it up with a far more impressive celebration, breaking into a jig with his teammates. That was the easiest goal Opoku would have scored in his career.
#3 Girik Khosla shines in free role
Prior to the match, all eyes were on Chencho to deliver for Minerva Punjab. But it was the wunder-kid from Mumbai, Girik Khosla, who troubled the opposition with his clever off the ball movements.
He may not have troubled Churchill with shots and passes but he consistently confused the opposition with his clever positioning. Khosla was handed a free role by his coach and he made the most of it, floating around to all parts of the final third.
At times, he and Chencho swapped positions on the wings. At times, he positioned himself between Chencho and Opoku, acting as a cushion man. On the rare occasion, he even operated as a target man and once, came close to scoring from a header. The visitors found it hard to man mark him and his clever movements enabled his teammates to venture forward and do the damage. Girik was a live-wire today.
#4 Minerva let Churchill back courtesy some shoddy football
For close to 20 minutes in the second half, Minerva Punjab took their foot off the pedal and let Churchill back into the game. The home side looked sluggish, conceded possession far too easily in dangerous areas and almost paid the price for their lack of concentration.
Dawda Ceesay came to life and created a host of problems for Minerva's back four. He pounced on every lose ball and tested the opposition keeper who did well to keep the Punjabi outfit in the game.
With a title on the line, it was rather surprising to see Minerva uninspired and flat. They had their keeper, Kiran Limbu to thank who put in a warrior like performance to deny Churchill Brothers. The visitors looked a completely different side in the second half and it made for an exciting final day clash.
#5 Minerva Punjab! Champions of India
It wasn't easy, far from it. Minerva Punjab were made to work extremely hard against Churchill Brothers on Thursday. But in the end, they held on for a memorable victory as they were crowned champions of the I-League and deservedly so.
With millions of permutations and combinations doing the rounds on social media, Minerva knew that ultimately their destiny rested on their own feet. At times, it did feel like they would slip and concede a goal but they didn't and that is the sign of a champion side. One that holds their own when the going gets tough.
The loss means Churchill Brothers will be relegated to the lower division and will not be part of the I-League next season. The Goan outfit did try their best to make things happen in the second half but Minerva had just enough in their tank as they registered the most important victory in their history.
