Minerva claims maiden Elite League title
Goals from Makan Winkle Chothe and Thoiba Singh helped Minerva Punjab FC beat FC Pune City 2-0 to lift the Elite League trophy.
Published : Feb 08, 2019 23:43 IST
Minerva Punjab FC rode on second-half strikes from Makan Winkle Chothe and Thoiba Singh to register a 2-0 victory over FC Pune City to lift the Elite League 2018-19 title.
Minerva Punjab FC is also the holder of all the National championships---Hero I-League, Hero Sub-junior League (U13 age group), Hero Junior League (U15 age group) and Hero Elite League (U18 age group).
FC Pune City had the first shot on target in the 2nd minute when Laldawngkima’s header was brilliantly saved by goalkeeper Devansh before Minerva skipper Shahjahan saw his long-ranger miss the mark in the 8th minute.
Pune City's Lelsemba had an effective game keeping the defenders on their toes throughout. In the 43rd minute, the youngster made an impressive run from the middle to register a shot on the goal.
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After the changeover, both teams showed urgency to break the deadlock but eventually, it was the Punjab-based side who found the back of the net in the 59th minute. On a long throw-in, Shahjahan lobbed the ball in the path of onrushing Chothe, who outsmarted two defenders to smash it home.
In the 67th minute, Thoiba Singh finished a superbly-executed freekick to stun the Pune lads. Pune went on the offensive multiple times, but Minerva held on to lift the silverware.
Along with the coveted trophy, Minerva Punjab FC won prize money of ₹5 lakh whereas runners-up FC Pune City was handed a cheque of ₹1.5 lakh.
Result
| Minerva Punjab FC 2 (Makan Winkle Chothe 59', Thoiba Singh 67') bt FC Pune City 0 |