The Ganga SC team at Nehru Stadium in Guwahati on Sunday. Picture by UB Photos

Guwahati, Sept. 1: Ganga Sports Club, Khanapara, annexed the Jibeswar Goswami Guwahati first division football league title to book a Super League berth for next year, blanking City Police 3-0 in the crunch last league encounter of the tournament at Nehru Stadium here today.

Ganga pumped in all the three goals in the rather one-sided first half of the match when the policemen could hardly gain a foothold.

Starting aggressively, Ganga gained the upper hand as early as the ninth minute when striker Yumnam Gopi Singh made no mistake in deflecting home a Lalrintluanga cross from the right flank.

Lalrintluanga consolidated their position with another goal in the 37th minute. The nimble-foot midfielder dribbled past the police defence barricade with speed and skill to beat custodian Luchan Saikia from inside the goalbox. Speed and precision yielded in their third goal, too, when medio Bikash Thapa capitalised on an opponent defence lapse to leave Saikia gaping once again in the 45th minute.

Skipper Amulya Das squandered sitters on at least three occasions. They mounted some pressure on the Ganga castle in the second half, but lacked the precision in finishing on most of the occasions. The heavy underfoot condition added to their woes.

With today’s win, Ganga topped the tally with 18 points while Gauhati Town Club finished runners-up with 16 points and City Police are third with 15. Abutani Sports Club, who could not tally a single point in the league, were relegated to the second division league next year.

Santanu Barman of GTC, who conceded only two goals in seven matches, was adjudged Best Goalkeeper of the tournament and Rising XI got the fairplay trophy.

City SSP A.P. Tiwary and donor of the trophy Pulak Goswami conferred the prizes in the presentation ceremony.

Super League

Navajyoti Club held Green Valley Sports Club to a goalless draw in yesterday’s match to scale the Abhishek Motors RG Baruah Trophy Guwahati Super League football tournament tally a place up to finish the first leg in the second slot after holders NF Railway.

The railmen, Navajyoti, Sunrise Athletic Club and Green Valley will now slog it out for the title in championship round from Tuesday. Dynamo Club, Assam State Electricity Board SC, Assam Police Blues and Food Corporation of India are placed in the relegation round in the second leg starting tomorrow.

Dynamo Club will meet FCI in the tomorrow’s match.