Gokulam defends I-League title

KOLKATA: Gokulam Kerala FC created history as it became the first team in the I-League era to defend its title with a 2-1 victory over Mohammedan Sporting here on Sunday.

Midfielder PP Rishad put defending champion Gokulam ahead with his 49th minute strike, which stunned the partisan crowd of over 35,000 at the Salt Lake Stadium. However, the ‘home team’ was soon celebrating as it found the equaliser in the 56th minute, when Marcus Joseph’s terrific free-kick deflected off Azharuddin Mallick and got into the net.

The joy, though, was short-lived as Gokulam regained the lead. Emil Benny, running into the final third after receiving a pass from Luka Majcen, found the back of the opponent’s net in the 61st minute. Benny’s winning goal helped the Kerala team script history. East Bengal had won back-to-back league titles in successive years in the time of the National Football League, which was the predecessor of the I-League. The Kolkata team won the title in the 200203 and 2003-04 seasons.

Chasing a maiden I-League crown, local heavyweight Mohammedan Sporting entered the ‘virtual final’ optimistic of getting a positive result. However, Gokulam (43 points from 18 matches) deservingly won the title for the second straight season. Mohammedan Sporting finished with 37 points from 18 fixtures.