Santosh Trophy: Kerala in seventh heaven as they edge Bengal in penalties to reign supreme

For
the
records,
it
was
their
seventh
Santosh
Trophy
crown
and
first
since
2018,
when
they
had
defeated
the
same
opponents
in
a
similar
shoot-out
in
Kolkata.

After
90
minutes
of
goaless
action
it
went
to
the
extra
time
with
both
teams
scoring
a
goal
apiece
forcing
the
shoot
out
where
the
hosts
held
their
nerve.

Dilip
Orawn
(97th
minute)
scored
for
the
visitors
to
break
the
deadlock
as
well
as
the
hearts
of
some
25,000
plus
home
holiday
crowd
who
were
in
in
the
Eid
Al
Fitr
festive
mode,
before
Muhammad
Safdan
restored
pariry
for
the
hosts
in
the
11th
minute
to
restore
pariry
for
the
hosts,
forcing
the
spot-kicks.

It
was
literally
an
encore
in
Malappuram,
the
cradle
of
football
in
the

God’s
Own
Country,
as
the
last
time
Bengal
advanced
into
the
final
was
in
the
2017-19
season
when
they
lost
to
Kerala
on
penalties
at
their
home
venue
of
Salt
Lake
Stadium.

Santosh
Trophy
Winners
and
Runners
Up
List
From
1941
To
2022

This
season,
Kerala
had
defeated
Bengal
in
the
first
round,
and
Bino
George’s
men
did
an
encore
in
the
final
played
in
front
of
a
packed
Eid
crowd
against
the
most
successful
team
in
the
history
of
the
tournament.

Bengal
were
looking
to
settle
the
scores
by
winning
this
fixture
and
were
looking
to
avenge
their
2018
Santosh
Trophy
final
defeat,
which
they
lost
in
penalties
after
the
game
ended
in
a
stalemate
at
the
end
of
regulation
time.

Santosh
Trophy
2022:
Live
Streaming,
Schedule,
Results,
Teams,
Group
and
Points
Table

However
the
plot
remained
the
same
on
Monday
on
a
magic
night
at
Malappuram.

Bengal
were
looking
to
annexe
their
33rd
title
when
they
took
on
the
hosts
Kerala
in
the
final
of
the
one
of
the
oldest
tournaments
in
the
country’s
football
history.

It
was
eastern
State’s
46th
final
overall,
and
they
had
entered
the
contest
as
favourites,
owing
to
their
outstanding
record
in
the
tournament
since
its
start
in
1941.

However,
Bengal
went
down
to
the
in-form
Kerala
outfit
as
the
hosts
annexed
their
seventh
crown
in
front
of
a
rapturous
home
crowd.
Kudos
champs!