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KOCHI: Already relegated Chirag United Kerala had a fitting farewell to the I-League 2011-12 scoring a 5-2 win over Mumbai FC in the final and the 26th round of the Championship on Sunday.
The win took Chirag United Kerala’s tally to 20 points from 26 matches while Mumbai FC finished the season on 11th position with 24 points from 26 outings.
Mumbai FC took an early lead in 8th minute through Manuel D’Souza. The midfielder was found by Kuttymani with a lot of space and D’Souza’s long ranger rattled the crossbar before going in. But the away team’s lead did not stand for long, as defender Faizal Rehman miscued a clearance off David Sunday’s cross into his own goal in the 13th minute.
Vineeth CK, a brighter dot in almost a dark season for Chirag, put the team ahead in the 34th minute with a clinical finish to the left of Mumbai custodian Nidhinlal AC. At the half time break, the score was 2-1 in favour of the home side.
It was a David Sunday show in the second half. On a deft touch he hammered the ball into the Mumbai FC goal in the 54th minute. His second came off a well placed header being serviced by Pradeep Mohanraj from the right wing.
Mumbai FC reduced the deficit by two as Faizal Rehman redeemed himself to tap in from a corner and in a way cancelling out the goal he gifted to Chirag’s account.
Vinneth CK completed his brace in the added minutes of the second half as he battled with the Mumbai defence and placed the ball away from the keeper and into the goal.
Chirag’s David Sunday was adjudged man of the match.
