Minerva win maiden Elite League title

Tribune News Service 

Chandigarh, February 8 

Second-half strikes from Makan Winkle Chothe and Thoiba Singh helped Minerva Punjab FC register a 2-0 win over FC Pune City and lift their maiden Hero Elite League title in Goa on Friday.

Chothe exploited a defensive lapse by FC Pune City to break the deadlock in the 59th minute, while Thoiba Singh doubled the lead through a free-kick in the 67th minute to shut the door on their opponents. 

FC Pune City had a great chance of taking an early lead with Laldawngkima’s second-minute header but Minerva goalkeeper Devansh was up to the task.

Minerva skipper Shahjahan then saw his long-range shot miss the target in the 8th minute.

Pune’s Lelsemba kept Minerva defenders on their toes. The youngster made an impressive run from the middle but his resulting shot was too weak to unsettle Devansh Singh in the 43rd minute.

At the stroke of the half-hour mark, Zothanpuia’s free-kick was parried away by Devansh once again. Nikhil Prabhu tried to slot the ball home off the rebound but missed the target by a whisker.

After the changeover, both teams showed more urgency in breaking the deadlock and eventually, it was the Punjab-based side which hit the back of the net a minute before the hour-mark.

Shahjahan lobbed a long throw-in to an onrushing Chothe who outran two defenders to smash the ball  home and put his team in the driver’s seat.

Eight minutes later, Thoiba put the final nail in the Pune coffin with a superbly-executed free-kick.

Although Pune tried their best to restore the parity, their efforts were staved off by an alert Minerva defense. The Punjab outfit eventually sealed the match 2-0. 

Along with the coveted trophy, Minerva Punjab FC also received the winner’s cheque of R 5 lakh. FC Pune City were handed a cheque of Rs 1.5 lakh.