Champs Air India end season unbeaten

MUMBAI: His Air India team were already assured of the Mumbai Football Association Elite (Corporate) Division crown, but head coach Godfred Pereira still cut a disgruntled figure from the sidelines at the Neville D’Souza ground.Playing their last match of the league against an Income Tax side featuring his son Astle, the one stirring motive the fixture offered Air India was this — avoid defeat and finish the campaign unbeaten! Santosh Koli got them off to a great start, scoring in the 23rd minute. But when Lalith Bangera equalised for Income Tax just before half-time, Pereira feared his side’s unblemished record was at risk. But Arfat Ansari put that worry to rest with a well-worked move from the left flank to restore Air India’s lead in the 64th minute before Harsh Utekar made it 3-1 with the last kick of the game. Senior Pereira could finally smile! Air India had mathematically secured the title on Saturday itself when their nearest rivals in the 12-team league, Century Rayon, who trailed the leaders by five points, fell to a 2-0 defeat against last season’s champions Bank of Baroda. tnn