The Hindu : Sport / Football : Mahindra United keeps crown

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Oct 02, 2004

Sport

Sport - Football

Mahindra United keeps crown

MUMBAI, OCT. 1. Raphael Patron's two opportunistic goals and one assist enabled Mahindra United snuff out Bengal Mumbai Football Club's title hopes with a 3-1 victory in the MDFA Elite League 2004 on Friday.

Mahindra United thus retained the league crown for the third year in succession, twice under current coach David Booth. Air-India downed H2K Holy Family 3-0, riding on a Bashir Abbas hat-trick, to bag the third place at the Cooperage.

The winner earned Rs 50,000 and runner-up Rs 25,000 in the league, sponsored by H2K and New India Assurance. Mahindra United and Air India have qualified for the National Football League Division I and II respectively, while BMFC and H2K will be engaged in play-offs for qualifying spots in NFL Division II.

Skipper Khalid Jamil tapped in a rebound off the goalkeeper (ninth minute) for Mahindra's first goal, Patron finished a move initiated by a long ball from Odartey Lawson (35th) for the second, BMFC's valiant fightback resulted in Innocent reducing the margin (37th) off a Habib Adenkule back-header.

The champion hit back, with Patron (52nd) following up a counter-attack from the right and tapping home a Jatin Bisht floater. Adenkule, outstanding right through the season for BMFC, was edged out for `best player' award by H2K Holy Family's Suvendu Hui. — Our Special Correspondent