Kolkata: Goalkeeper Gurmeet Singh pulled off a couple of exceptional saves in the penalty shootout as NorthEast United FC overcame a two-goal deficit to stun Mohun Bagan 4-3 to win their maiden Durand Cup title after the regulation time ended with the score locked at 2-2, here on Saturday.
The 24-year-old judged brilliantly and showed superb footwork to deny Liston Colaco in the third strike, and then in the fifth attempt, he stood like a wall to deny Mohun Bagan captain Subhasish Bose and seal the match in his team's favour.
Guillermo Fernandez, captain Miguel Zabaco Tome, Parthib Gogoi and Alaaeddine Ajaraei struck the other goals in the shootout for NEUFC.
Jason Cummings, Manvir Singh and Dimitri Petratos were on the target for the Mariners who had to settle for their 13th runners-up finish in the Asian's oldest tournament that completed its 133rd edition.
The champions' Malayali midfielder Jithin M S was adjudged the Golden Ball winner. Throughout the tournament, the player from Thrissur scored four goals and assisted three more. Kerala Blasters' fresh signing Noah Sadaoui bagged the Golden Boot for his six goals.
For actor John Abraham's team, this was its first ever silverware in a decade after its inception, and it couldn't have been sweeter, coming in front of a full, passionate Mohun Bagan fans at the iconic Salt Lake Stadium.
Mohun Bagan goalkeeper Vishal Kaith, who made similar saves in their quarterfinal and semifinal wins earlier, stood despondent at one corner as the NEUFC players ran on to the pitch to celebrate the historic moment.
It was a tale of two halves as the Jose Molina-coached side, that was eyeing a record-extending 18th title, dominated the start and went 2-0 up with goals from Jason Cummings (11th-penalty), Sahal Abdul Samad (45+5th).
Chasing history, the Highlanders caught Mohun Bagan's defence sleeping right after the restart and turned up the heat with two quickfire goals in three minutes. Alaaeddine Ajaraei (55') and second-half substitute Guillermo Fernandez (58') delivered clinical finishes to seize the momentum.
The lone bright spot for NEUFC in the first-half, Indian forward Jithin MS was at the heart of it again, expertly controlling a flick-on from Guillermo. He drew in two defenders before slipping it to Ajaraei, who shaped to curl it to the far post but instead fired it into the near post, leaving Kaith with no chance.
Their Madrid-born coach Juan Pedro Benali's tactical substitution by bringing in Guillermo in place of Thoi Singh paid dividends as NEUFC brought it level in no time. The super sub made a huge impact when he latched onto an Ajaraie cross at the far post and thundered a volley into the top of the net, making it all square with more than half an hour on the clock.
In the 68th minute, NEUFC nearly snatched the lead when Jithin unleashed a powerful volley from outside the box but Kaith's intervention was just as impressive as a third successive tie-breaker finish loomed for the Mariners.
The first half was firmly in Mohun Bagan's control. They took the lead after a defensive blunder by NEUFC's Asheer Akhtar, who tugged Sahal Abdul Samad's jersey from behind in the box.
Samad went down, and referee Harish Kundu had no hesitation in awarding the penalty as Cummings sent Gurmeet the wrong way to earn the lead.
Greg Stewart, who started ahead of Petratos, nearly doubled the lead in the 19th minute when he went past Dinesh Singh and Mohammed Ali Bemammer as he came one on one with Gurmeet but only to balloon the ball over the bar.
There was a close call for the Highlanders in the 22nd mintue when Jithin met a cross from the right and powered a header towards goal, but Vishal Kaith made a comfortable save.
Colaco's superb set up from the left flank when carried the ball along and kept drifting to his right and then crossed for Sahal stood out when Mohun Bagan went 2-0 up before the break. Sahal was at the right place at the right time and his first touch to the first post was enough to put them in the driver's seat.
But Benali's tactical brilliance stood out in the second-half as Mohun Bagan found to be complacent and could not defend their title.
