Vasco Sports Club, Goa, pipped a fighting Mahindra United, Mumbai, 2-1 in their concluding match of the National Football League at the Cooperage in Mumbai on Monday.
However, despite the victory, they were forced to settle for the third place on the league table as their Goa mates Salgaocar beat champions East Bengal 2-0 in Goa to take the second place.
Salgaocar finished on 44 points, one more than Vasco.
East Bengal made sure of the title after the penultimate round, taking an unassailable lead of 49 points.
After a barren first-half, which saw play being confined mostly to the midfield, the Goan outfit opened the account when medio Menino Fernandes scored following winger Shanshy Raza's flag-kick.
But Mahindra equalised a minute later through defender Odartey Lawson, following a pass from medio Khalid Jamil.
With ten minutes to go for the final whistle, Vasco got the all-important goal when their medio and man-of-the-match Riston Rodrigues scored off defender Jules Alberto's pass.
The first good move for Vasco came in the 20th minute, when Alberto snatched the ball from Mahindra winger Naushad Pari and essayed a stiff volley show, but an agile Mahindra custodian Feroz Sheriff did well to punch the ball over.
In the 38th minute Mahindra winger Ednei Jose Damasio's try off Lawson was well-saved by Vasco custodian Rogerio Ramos.
With five minutes to go for half-time, Alberto's try hit the crossbar after beating Sheriff.
In the 68th minute Vasco almost scored but their defender Seby Dias's header hit the crossbar and ricochetted before one of the Mahindra defenders could cleared the ball.
Soon after Vasco took the lead Mahindra came very near to equalising for the second time but their substitute R C Prakash's try was well-saved by Brazil import Ramos.
Mahindra got their last chance to equalise with just seven minutes to go for final whistle but were unlucky to see medio Khalid Siddique's pile driver hit the crossbar and go over.
With this victory Vasco completed their engagements with 43 points.
Mahindra had to be content with the eighth position in the 12-team league, aggregating 26 points.
