Nigerian striker Odafe Onyeka Okolie made the difference once again for Churchill Brothers, as the Goan outfit came from behind twice to beat Air India 3-2 and make their first final of the Osian's Durand Cup football tournament at the Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi on Monday.
Okolie scored the winner with nine minutes left on the clock as Mario Soares's team moved within one match of the coveted title.
It was a spirited fight by Air India and they will be gutted after finishing on the wrong end of the result despite taking the lead on two occasions.
International Gouramangi Singh (17th minute), and Nigerians Mboyo Iyomi (35th) and Okolie (81st) got on the scoresheet for the winners while Narendra Meetei (10th minute) and Santosh Koli (27th) were on target for Bimal Ghosh's team.
The fast-paced first half was the best 45 minutes of the tournament thus far and saw end-to-end action as four goals were scored in the opening 45 minutes.
Air India went ahead early when Narendra Meetei headed home a Nirmal Chhetri free-kick.
The Goan outfit, which had swept all before it in the previous two matches, were shocked into launching repeated attacks and drew level 10 minutes later.
A beautifully flighted free-kick from outside the area by Okolie invited international Gourmangi to attack it. The defender's first attempt from close range was blocked by custodian Raju Ekka but the rebound went in off Gourmangi's body.
The match had really opened up and Air India regained the lead through another set-piece.
A free-kick from Napoleon Singh from near the right touchline was headed back into the danger area by Bashiru Abbas and a diving Santosh Koli headed it home past goalkeeper Vinay Singh.
Churchill coach Mario Soares then replaced custodian Vinay with Lalit Thapa.
His team came back for a second time when Okolie weaved his way into the box. His shot was parried by Ekka but compatriot Mboyo Iyomi was at the far post to knock the rebound in the unguarded net.
Air India kept coming forward in the second period and came close to a third when Narendra Meetei received a pass from Abbas but his shot came off the crossbar. Abbas' header off the rebound was easily gathered by the custodian.
The winner came late in the match when Okolie showed a burst of speed to take a long aerial ball and beat the attending defender.
Ekka saw the danger and advanced to thwart the Nigerian but Okolie went past him in a flash and rounded off defender Uttam Singh to find an empty net.
That was not the end of the drama and Air India's Paresh Shivalkar hit the bar from close range and Covan Lawrence's header from inside the area went wide.
Soares said he had feared the worst at one stage but complimented Okolie, who now has 10 goals from three outings.
"It was a tough match and at 1-2 down, I thought we would lose. But we played very well and Odafe was splendid," the coach said after the match.
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