Jawahar Municipal Stadium erupted Friday night as Kannur Warriors FC clinched their first-ever sports.com Super League Kerala title, powered by Amul, with a gritty 1-0 victory over Thrissur Magic FC.
Down
to 10 men for the entire second half, the Warriors held firm behind an early penalty strike, turning a league-phase home jinx into championship gold.
The breakthrough arrived in the 18th minute when Spaniard Asier Gomez stepped up coolly. Thrissur defender Tejas Krishna had fouled inside the box, clumsily handling Gomez's goal-bound shot. Asier wrong-footed young keeper Kamaludheen, drilling the ball dead center. 1-0-and what would become the decider.
Kannur's joy soured late in the first half. Defender Sachin Sunil lunged at Thrissur forward Kevin Padilla, earning a straight red. Suddenly, the hosts faced a siege. Yet they attacked boldly early on, echoing their 2-0 league win over Thrissur, and repelled waves of pressure.
Thrissur squandered prime chances. Tejas blazed over an open goal around the half-hour mark. Marcus Joseph, semifinal hat-trick hero, unleashed a 52nd-minute long-range rocket that sailed wide. Star Mailson Alves saw a goal chalked off for offside, then clanged a header off the crossbar in the 80th minute-agony for the fighters. Kannur's backline, marshaled stoutly, shackled Joseph late and sparked wild celebrations at the whistle.
Final Score: Kannur Warriors FC 1 (Asier Gomez 18' pen) - Thrissur Magic FC 0
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