New Delhi, Sept. 29 :
Govt Boys HS, Shillong 6 (1)
Sukantanagar, Calcutta 5 (1)
A greater commitment and superior fitness enabled Shillong?s Government Boys? High School prevail over a skillful Sukantanagar Vidyaniketan of Calcutta in the final of the Subroto Cup schools football tournament today.
The Shillong boys won in the shootout after regulation time saw a 1-1 deadlock.
Fortunes fluctuated in this dramatic match, and the scores were level ( 4-4) even after the first round of penalty kicks. In sudden-death, Remiki Nonlaakin scored for the Shillong school before Sukantanagar striker Tushar Kanti Das failed to keep his nerve. His feeble shot was parried by goalkeeper David C Taraing.
The Government Boys HS became the second outfit from Meghalaya to win the Subroto Cup. Twenty one years ago, St Anthony?s Shillong, then coached by P. K. Banerjee, beat Madhyamgram High School of Bengal by a solitary goal in the final.
They are the sixth team from the North-East to annex the coveted trophy.
There was a lack of cohesion in the Sukantanagar game in the first half and they rarely presented a threat to the rival defence. Their only worthwhile attempt at goal was a long ranger by Debdas Biswas which goalkeeper David tipped over.
The Shillong school forged ahead in the 18th minute. Sukantanagar?s stopper-back Habibur Rehman Mondal had tripped midfielder Rockos Lamiri on the edge of the box. Skipper and midfielder Lekini Suting curled the ball into the far corner of the net.
Sukantanagar shed their inhibitions in the second half and harassed their opponents. After coming close to scoring on several occasions, they finally equalised in the 58th minute. Debdas? diagonal cross from the left found Nemai wide on the right. The nippy Nemai evaded left-back Remiki Nonlamin and equalised with a left footer.
In the shoot-out, Sukantanagar?s coach Surojit Ghosh experimented with substitute custodian Tarun Das. He made two excellent saves but that, in the end, was not enough.