Mohun Bagan had gone into the title showdown with a vow to come out champs from their acid test against Churchill Brothers. Instead, they came out of the Yuba Bharati Krirangan (YBK) mauled and deflated as Carlos Pereira’s boys rode a match-winning performance from super striker Okolie Odafa to win 2-0 and clinch their maiden IFA Shield.

Odafa set up a goal for Reisangmi Vashum in the 41st minute and then sealed the deal with another strike at the fag end of the first half to complete local giants Mohun Bagan’s humiliation. For Churchill Brothers, who completely outplayed the 22-time IFA Shield champions today, the title win couldn’t have come at a better time, with the club management breathing down the neck of coach Pereira throughout the season and specially in the run-up to the final. And the 60-year-old coach should thank Odafa for the favour as the highest paid striker in Indian club football raised his game in the crucial match, having missed out the last match due to a double booking.

It took all of just five minutes — from 41st to 46th — for Churchill Brothers to assert their dominance over Karim Bencherifa’s boys. Vashum got his opportunity to open the scoring when Odafa effected a deft touch after running into Bagan defenders Deepak Mondal and Sur Kumar Singh. The striker cleverly flicked the ball to Vashum, who unleashed a right-footer from 20-yards that beat the goalie.

Before the Bagan boys could realise what hit them, Odafa showcased his individual brilliance, effecting a blinding goal off a solo run in the dying moments of the first half. Latching on to a cunning through from Nascimento da Silveira in central midfield, Odafa took charge in a split second, scoring off a sudden burst of sprint right down the middle, even as Mohan Raj and Mondal looked on helplessly.

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