Kolkata’s Diamond Harbour FC realised the dream they harboured right from the start of the season as they won the I-League 3 title, defeating Chanmari FC 1-0 at the Naihati Stadium on Sunday.
Midfielder Ragav Gupta’s stinging left-footed grounder from outside the box in the 29th minute made all the difference and brought an end to Chanmari’s eight-match winning run. Overall, the Mizoram side had a rather unimpressive day in office.
Diamond Harbour, only in their third year in the business, not only qualified for the I-League 2 but also bagged their maiden national-level title.
Whatever the scoreline may suggest, the match hardly went right down to the wire as the Kibu Vicuña-coached side had overwhelming control over the proceedings and could have easily won by a far bigger margin.
The Bengal side with 69 per cent ball possession camped themselves around the Chanmari goal and opened up the rival defence time and again.
Prolific striker Narohari Shrestha, with eight goals in his kitty in the tournament, missed a couple of easy chances.
Shrestha, however, turned the provider when Gupta scored the only goal of the match. While he was quick to anticipate, Gupta could have a clear view of the goal and placed the ball in the right area, but the lanky midfielder unleashed a grounder that left the Chanmari FC custodian Zothanmawia stranded.
Four teams – Diamond Harbour FC, Chanmari FC, Keinou Library & Sports Association FC, and SAT Tirur – have qualified for the 2024-25 I-League 2.
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