Services beat Kerala to lift Santosh Trophy for 8th time

Abhishek Pawar’s 109th-minute strike earned Services a 1-0 win over Kerala in a gripping final of the 79th National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy at Dhakuakhana Football Stadium, Assam, on Sunday. The victory gave Services their eighth Santosh Trophy title.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The match remained goalless through regulation time and the first half of extra-time. The breakthrough came in the 109th minute after Services built an attack down the left. Samuel Vanlalpeka released substitute Shubham Rana, introduced in the 63rd minute, into space along the flank. Rana carried the ball to the corner and delivered a measured cross into the penalty area.Kerala goalkeeper Hajmal S punched the ball away, but only as far as the edge of the box.Pawar reacted quickly, turned, and struck a low right-footed shot that skidded through a crowd of tired defenders and into the net, sparking celebrations among the Services players. Kerala pushed hard in the closing minutes, throwing numbers forward in search of an equaliser, but Services goalkeeper and captain Gagandeep Singh organised the defence effectively and ensured the lead was protected.After the match, Kerala coach Shafeeq Hassan pointed to difficult playing conditions, saying the uneven surface affected his players, who had recently joined the camp after completing commitments in the Super League Kerala on better pitches. “We lost only two matches in this campaign and both were against Services,” said Hassan.