Narayanpur (Chhattisgarh) [India], May 27 : From two goals down to lifting the trophy for the second consecutive time, Delhi U20 scripted a sensational comeback to defeat Mizoram U20 4-2 after extra time in the final of the Swami Vivekananda Men's U-20 National Football Championship at the Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama Ground on Tuesday.
Super-sub Laishram Rahul Meitei (90+1', 108') emerged as the hero, scoring twice, including the go-ahead goal in extra time, as Delhi fought back with grit, heart, and relentless determination in a match that saw as many as 10 expulsions as tempers flared in the extra half-hour's play. Mizoram ended the match with eight players, while Delhi were down to nine.
Arya Kashyap (48') and Prashan Jajo (110') scored the other two goals for Delhi. Mesak C Lalrinngheta (39') and PC Pazawna (45+2') had netted the two goals for Mizoram.
It was a final of two contrasting halves. Mizoram dominated the first 45 minutes, but Delhi responded with a second-half resurgence that turned the tie on its head, eventually sealing the title in emphatic fashion in extra time.
The match began cautiously, with both sides probing and assessing each other's tactical setup. Despite the attacking flair both teams had displayed en route to the final, neither side committed too many numbers forward in the early stages.
Mizoram, however, settled first and began to apply pressure through the lively Lalrinngheta, who forced Delhi goalkeeper Karan Makkar into an early save with a powerful strike.
Delhi, in contrast, struggled to find rhythm in the final third. While they tried to build through the flanks and short passing in midfield, their attacks lacked the cutting edge required to trouble the Mizoram backline.
The breakthrough came in the 39th minute. A quick move by Mizoram caught Delhi's defence off guard, and Lalrinngheta made no mistake in finishing it off, giving Mizoram a deserved 1-0 lead. On the stroke of half-time, Mizoram struck again -- Pazawna with a superb volley that left the keeper rooted and gave Mizoram a comfortable 2-0 lead heading into the break.
Delhi needed a response, and they delivered almost immediately after the restart. In the 48th minute, Aditya Adhikari delivered a teasing corner, and Arya Kashyap rose highest to glance a header past the keeper to halve the deficit.
As the minutes ticked by, Mizoram sat deeper, defending doggedly to protect their lead. Delhi kept pressing, but frustration began to mount as their equaliser remained elusive until injury time. A floated cross from Kashyap caused chaos in the box. After a strike hit the post, Sankhil Darpol Tuishang showed great awareness to pull the rebound back into the danger zone for Meitei, who headed home from close range to bring Delhi level and send the final into extra time.
With momentum on their side, Delhi struck again in the 107th minute. From a set-piece, Meitei found space in the six-yard box and powered another header beyond the Mizo keeper to give his side the lead for the first time.
The result was sealed in the 110th. Kushagra Chaudhary whipped in a perfect cross from the right, and Jajo made a clever run behind the defence to slot the ball home with composure, sending his teammates into raptures and Delhi to their maiden title triumph.
The match, though, turned ugly from thereon as a scuffle broke out, and eventually,10 players were sent off.