Services score 108th minute winner; Kerala lose second Santosh Trophy final in a row by the narrowest of margins

Kerala lost their second Santosh Trophy final in a row after conceding another late goal. Last season, it was Robi Hansda of West Bengal who won it for them in added time. Today, it was Abhishek Pawar who netted the winner for Services in the 108th minute -- the first half of extra time.

Shafeeq Hassan's Kerala tried their best to find an equaliser in the remaining 12-plus minutes, but Services defended purposefully. The last time the two sides played in a final, it was Services that prevailed in a shootout in Kochi in 2012. They have now edged Kerala in the Santosh Trophy count with eight titles.

The match was headed for another shootout when Services went for a final push. A cross was swung in from the left. Hajmal punched it clear, but only as far as the edge of the box. Pawar was there, and his connection was pure; the placement was perfect.

Earlier, the second half was cagey, lacking the vigour witnessed in the early exchanges. As the game slipped past the hour mark, Services became pragmatic, not rushing with their build-up, nor pressing Kerala with the same intensity as before. But their five-man defence made it difficult for Kerala's wide players to connect with Ajsal.

The timing of the match, starting at 1 pm, must have played a part in draining the energies. Even with a drinks break every 15 minutes, tiredness affected most players.

Substitute Viknesh M tried one of his trademark moves, cutting inside from the left to attempt a curler at the far post. But his effort was blocked.

As the clock hit 90, Kerala might have had a sense of deja vu, because last season, they had lost the title in a moment of sloppiness in the dying moments.

In the first half, Kerala knew they had met their match in MG Ramachandran's Services, who did not sit back like expected, considering their general philosophy of doing just about enough, which is in stark contrast with Kerala's aggressive approach.

Coming into the final, Services had scored just six goals and conceded four, while they had netted 15 and let in just three, one of which was in a 0-1 defeat to the same opposition in an inconsequential final group match.

At the start, Services showed more hunger, pressing Kerala across the final third, forcing long balls and trying to penetrate when they had possession. But chances were a premium.

Kerala didn't have many clear-cut chances. Shijin T had the best moment five minutes from half-time when he got his head to a cross from Arjun M M, but the attempt went over the bar. Earlier, Muhammad Ajsal had an opportunity when he opened his body to receive a delightful through ball from Arjun M M, but just as he shaped to shoot, Samananda Singh came sliding in to clear. Arjun V hit the bar shortly after that. Maybe if one of those chances had gone in...