Abhishekh Powar scores winning goal; Services bag eighth Santosh Trophy title

DHAKUAKHANA: Services bag their eighth title in the 79th Santosh Trophy football match by defeating Kerala. Abhishekh Powar scored in the 109th minute. The match went into extra time after neither team could find a goal in the stipulated 90 minutes. Services defeated Kerala by one goal to nil. Although Kerala dominated the entire field, the team was unable to break down Services' defense. This is the ninth time Kerala has lost in the final.

Kerala suffered a major setback in the first half of the match. V Arjun's long-range shot missed the net after hitting the post and Shij's golden opportunity missed the target, putting Kerala in a difficult position. Coach Shafiq Hasan fielded the team with an experiment by leaving semi-final hero M Vignesh on the bench and including T Shij in the starting eleven.

In the second half, Kerala intensified their attack by bringing Vignesh on the field, but the Malayali players were unable to overcome Services' defensive fortress through the 'parking the bus' strategy. Services goalkeeper Gagandeep's brilliant saves also cost Kerala.

It was Abhishekh Powar who scored the winning goal for Services when they faced Kerala in the group stage as well. That history was repeated in the final. Powar used the opportunity he got in the 109th minute to seal the title for Services. After conceding the goal, Kerala attacked with all their might to equalise, but Services defended well.