Kannur Warriors clinch Super League Kerala title, edge Thrissur Magic with 10 men

Kannur Warriors emerged champions of the second season of Super League Kerala (SLK) with a thrilling 1-0 win over Thrissur Magic in Kannur on Friday.

Spaniard Asier Gomez scored the solitary goal from the penalty spot in the 18th minute. A red card for defender Sachin Sunil reduced Kannur to ten men in the injury time of the first half, but the hosts held their ground and defended their lead.

More than 25,000 spectators, the majority in the red of Kannur, witnessed the final at the Jawahar Municipal Stadium in Kannur.

Thrissur skipper Mailson Alves had a goal ruled out for offside and saw a header narrowly miss the target in the second half.

One of the Thrissur coaches was sent off for protesting Alves' disallowed goal, while former international Jo Pau Ancheri, an assistant coach with Thrissur, was given a yellow.

Ancheri and former Kerala Blasters midfielder Sushanth Mahtew were fuming in the Thrissur corner as the match had been intense, both on the field and between the dugouts.

Kannur had qualified from the league phase by finishing in the fourth and final spot with 13 points, just a point more than fifth-placed Thiruvananthapuram Kombans. Calicut FC won the first edition of SLK last season.