Branco Vincent Cardozo and Budhiram Tudu produced a goal in each session to help Bengal retain the Santosh Trophy after beating local favourite Manipur 2-1. This was Bengal's 31st title and second successive triumph in three consecutive final appearances.
The final of the 65th senior National football championship here on Monday saw the holder dominate for a greater part of the action before its challenger mounted a late resistance to reduce the margin. Manipur's goal came from L. Nabachandra Singh.
Better temperament
Picking up from its confident showing against Railways in the semifinals, Bengal throttled the flourish of Manipur by gaining control of the midfield early in the match. It showed better temperament and employed a passing game to good effect to put its opponent on the defensive.
Known for its speed and attacking brand of football, Manipur struggled to put together a cohesive show as its famed opponent usurped the initiative and spread the game around much to the former's discomfiture.
After Nabachandra's failed attempt in the third minute, Bengal took charge with its midfield perfecting the distribution upfront to get Branco and Budhiram in action.
Branco tested the Manipur goalkeeper L. Premkumar Singh with a long-ranger in the fourth minute before seeing another save from the latter off an effort from top of the box.
Branco, who played with the Goa side that beat Bengal for the title in 2009, produced the desired finish in the 20th minute when he connected a rasping volley off a cross from his midfield colleague Francis Xavier.
The ball flew home past Premkumar, who was rooted under bar.
Branco could have doubled the lead in the 30th minute had the Manipur custodian not produced a spectacular save to clear a free-kick from the former.
The second session continued with the dominance of Bengal, which doubled the lead in the 48th minute as Budhiram showed a great timing coming in line of a cross from Branco from the right flank.
The crafty striker tapped the ball home ahead of an onrushing Premkumar. Branco could well have trebled the Bengal lead had his smart chip in the 67th minute not been saved.
Reducing the margin
Egged on by the crowd, Manipur pressed for the lead as coach Ekendra Singh exhausted his quota of substitutions looking to sharpen the attack.
Manipur breached Bengal's resistance in the 76th minute when veteran Tiken Singh snatched the ball from defender Suman Dey and sent a sharp cross that Nabachandra, who came from behind to score.
Manipur went all out for the equaliser but Bengal held tight to foil the former's designs.
