GUWAHATI, Sept 14 � NF Railway Sports Club clinched the GSA Super League title for the Abhishek Motors RG Baruah Trophy for the first time.
In their final match of the season they needed a draw against Dynamo Club, but a beautiful goal by midfielder Shashanka Chanda off a set piece placed the railwaymen at top of the table with 21 points.
On the other hand, Dynamo needed a win to win the title, but the defeat pushed them to third position behind Sunrise Athletic Club. Both Dynamo and Sunrise gathered 16 points each but on better goal difference Sunrise became runners-up.
It was keenly contested encounter on a slippery ground at the Nehru Stadium. Dynamo, as they were in a must win situation, adopted attacking tactics from the word go and put the Railway defenders under ample pressure. The ball roamed around the Railway goal area in the first quarter of the match.
However, the Railway defenders managed to foil the Dynamo moves initiated by Prasenjit Das, Th Sajan Singh, Abraham Goodluck and Oneybi Nandos Ogbonna. All the Railway defenders stood like rock and hardly allowed open spaces for their rival attackers.
Gradually the Rail attackers got their foot on the ground and started raiding the Dynamo territory with some fast-paced moves. Jilendra Brahma and Sibra Narzary became deadly as they beat the Dynamo defenders on a couple of occasions. Both Jilendra and Sibra missed the easiest scoring opportunity of the day when they failed to put the ball into the net despite finding the goalkeeper out of his position.
After the goalless first half, Dynamo continued to attack the opponents� citadel but some ill directed passes in crucial junctures kept them away from hitting the target.
Railwaymen Jilendra, Sibra and Bipul Khanikar were trying to build counterattacks whenever they got free space in the midfield. Finally, they earned a free kick 25 metres away from the goal and Shashanka beat the human wall and the Dynamo custodian with an eye-catching swerving shot.
Dynamo should blame their striker Nandos for their defeat as in the later stage he got a couple of scoring opportunities from close range but he could not avail the chances.
Today�s match: (Relegation group) ASEB vs AP Blues.
