Bengaluru FC lifted their maiden Federation Cup football tournament title when they edged past 10-man Dempo FC 2-1 in the summit clash in Margao, Goa on Sunday.
Sunil Chhetri (10th minute) and substitute Robin Singh (65th) scored for the winners while Tolgay Ozbey (45+4) pulled one back for the home team at Nehru Stadium at Fatorda.
This was the second major title for Bengaluru FC in their two years of existence. They have won the I-League last season.
For Dempo FC, who won the title in 2004, they finished runners-up for the fifth time.
Bengaluru FC defender Curtis Osano was declared the Hero of the Match and was awarded Rs 10,000. Dempo's Romeo Fernandes, who scored four goals, was named Hero of the Tournament and earned Rs one lakh.
Both the teams came into this match with unbeaten records and there was not much to separate between the two teams till the hour mark.
But the complexion of the game changed after Bengaluru FC took the lead, which turned out to be the match-winner, in the 65th minute and then Dempo were reduced to 10 men three minutes later as defender Rowilson Rodrigues was shown a direct red card by referee Pratap Singh for a dangerous foul on Thoi Singh.
Dempo nearly equalised from a counter attack but substitute Holicharan Nazaray, who was unmarked inside the box, failed to score off a cross from the left by Haroon Fakhurddin.
Dempo repeatedly found themselves under pressure in the last 10 minutes with Francis Fernandes once again making a goal-line save off Sean Rooney's header after the keeper was beaten.
