Friday, Nov 22, 2024 08:30 [IST]
Last Update: Friday, Nov 22, 2024 02:50 [IST]
Gangtok Himalayan sets up title clash with NE United
GANGTOK,: Gangtok Himalayan SC secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Chennaiyin FC on Thursday evening to advance to the final of the 40th Governor’s Gold Cup football tournament at Paljor Stadium, Gangtok.
The match saw
Gangtok's foreign strikers, Junior and Joseph, deliver the crucial goals—one in
each half—to seal the win.
Chennaiyin FC,
on the other hand, had a tumultuous start, conceding an early goal in the 4th
minute. The Southern club’s situation worsened midway through the first half
when they were reduced to 10 men following a red card.
Despite being a
man down, Chennaiyin showed resilience and found an equalizer in the 28th
minute, thanks to a brilliant header from YV Kumar. The teams went into the
break at 1-1.
The second half
saw Gangtok Himalayan SC regain their advantage early on. In the 71st minute,
Joseph delivered a spectacular free-kick that gave his side a 2-1 lead. From
there, Gangtok's defense held strong, with goalkeeper Nimdup Lepcha giving an
excellent performance to deny Chennaiyin any further opportunities. Lepcha’s
performance earned him the well-deserved ‘Man of the Match’ honor.
With the
victory, Gangtok Himalayan SC has secured a place in the final, where they will
face Northeast United FC on November 24. This marks the second consecutive time
that Gangtok Himalayan SC has reached the Governor’s Gold Cup final.
In 2019, the
club, then known as Sikkim Himalayan SC, reached the final of the 39th edition
of the tournament but lost to Kolkata's Mohammedan SC. The tournament was then
halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic and stadium renovation before resuming this
year.
