Punjab FC lifted the Dream Sports-AIFF junior football championships for a third year in a row on Thursday evening at the Atal stadium in Bambolim. They beat the other Punjab based team, Minerva Academy 5-3 in a penalty shoot-out, after the match had ended 1-1 at full-time.
In a fast-paced game, Minerva began the first half with a lot of energy pushing Punjab in a corner for the first 35 minutes of the game. But the Punjab defence held firm. In a very fine counter-attacking move, Punjab’s midfield captain, Jasmeet Singh drew first blood in the 38th minute when he ran down the right flank to outwit the Minerva goalkeeper with a low, hard shot, enabling his team to be 1-0 at half-time.
The Minerva boys attacked relentlessly in the first 10 minutes of the second half. This resulted in their forward, Azam Khan being able to score through a goalmouth melee in the 49th minute, equalizing the score. The remainder of the match, saw the pendulum swing from one side to the other, but neither side could score a goal.
In the penalty shoot-out which followed, the Punjab goalkeeper, Augustasya Gupta excelled under the bar by stopping Minerva substitute, Ramung Zimik’s straight shot at the goal. This coupled with the calm nerves and excellent goals scored by all the Punjab players, ensured the 5-3 verdict. Fortunately, the weather gods were kind and the boys were able to play the entire match under overcast skies.
