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A goal in the final gasp winner from Robi Hansda was enough for West Bengal to lift the coveted Santosh Trophy after defeating Kerala by 1-0 in the final on Tuesday.
As West Bengal players kissed the trophy and rejoiced in jubilation, their victory marked their 33rd title win in the National Football Championship. Hansda, a prolific striker, scored his 12th goal in the 78th edition of the tournament. His influential presence brought a dramatic change in the final. After finding the back of the net, Hansda went wild, with euphoria taking over him and the entire team. After scoring the match winner, he took off his shirt to celebrate, which was immediately followed by a yellow card. Hansda left the Gachibowli Stadium with the Tulsidas Balaram Player of the Match award and the Peter Thangaraj Player of the Tournament Award. With the stalemate unbroken and the final heading towards the added time, the title-deciding clash looked destined to be decided in extra time or penalty shootout. But everything changed in a matter of seconds when Kerala's defence was caught completely off-guard when forward Manotos Maji headed the ball into the box. Hansda was stationed in the perfect position, just a few yards away from the goalkeeper Hajmal to settle the game. Throughout the match, both teams resorted to a cautious approach and took their time to test each other's defence. Even though both teams dealt with caution, they tried to accelerate counterattacks at every possible opportunity. On a couple of occasions, a few eye-catching dribbles, fancy shots and low crosses were executed on the field, but they didn't carry the required tenacity to threaten a goal. West Bengal coach Sanjoy Sen stated that he felt honoured to bring the trophy back to Kolkata after seven years and said, as quoted from AIFF.com, "In Bengal, it is all about winning the Santosh Trophy. To finish runners-up would be considered a failure." "So, I was aware of the pressure, but took up the challenge. We had a completely young team, but they performed in the most incredible way throughout the tournament. Kudos to my boys for doing such a great job," he added. Hansda, who ended the tournament as the top scorer with 12 goals to his name, expressed his delight after the trophy win and said, "That I could score the match-winner is a huge bonus for me. I dedicate this victory to my father." (ANI)
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