Minerva Punjab on Thursday triumphed against all odds less than a year after a miracle by another underdogs Aizawl FC, concluding an I-League season peppered with twists and turns never seen or felt before.

The 2017-18 league was down to the most dramatic final day in the competition's history with as many as four teams, including old guards Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, gunning for the title.

Debutants Neroca FC, surprisingly, were the other contenders.

For a club that is only in its second season in top-flight, the title triumph would easily qualify as some achievement.

In the process, they created history by becoming the first team from North India to win the Hero I-League.

William Asiedu Opoku's goal was enough to seal the title for Minerva Punjab, who beat Churchill Brothers by a solitary goal.

This is a landmark moment in Indian football where two relegation threatened teams have won back to back I-League titles. Last year it was Aizawl, this year it is Minerva Punjab from Chandigarh.

Churchill Brothers, on the other hand, got relegated as this defeat demotes them to second division.

Minerva Punjab's attacking trio of Chencho Gyeltshen, William and Girik Khosla combined well to put Churchill's defence in jeopardy.

Chencho almost scored the opener in 8th minute when a low Khosla cross wasn't dealt with properly by Osagie Monday, giving the Bhutanese ace a chance, but he couldn't make full use of it.

Minutes later Akash Sangwan had an opportunity to score from left but his shot went straight into the keeper's hands.

The moment finally came in the 16th minute when William converted from point blank range after a rebound from Khosla's shot, which fell right into his feet.

William had another great chance in the injury time of first half but he couldn't control his effort and lost possession.

The first half ended with the home side leading 1-0.

The second half started with a flurry of attacks from Churchill Brothers who tried their best to come back but got unlucky on many occasions.

In the 49th minute, Sangwan's pin point corner kick met Chencho header but his effort went just wide of target.

Churchill Brothers almost scored in the 51st minute when Britto got a chance from just six yards out but his weak effort hit the keeper. Ceesay took a long shot in the 54th minute but Kiran was there to save comfortably.

Monday tried his luck in the 59th minute but his wayward short was nowhere near the target. The big chance for Churchill came in the 61st minute when Ceesay created space inside box to set himself for a shot but ball just went over the crossbar.

Minerva should have doubled their lead in the 64th minute when Kassim Aidara played one two with Chencho but Chencho's following cross towards Sangwan, who was unmarked, went out for a goal kick.

In the 65th minute, Britto missed the opportunity of the match so far when he went one on one with the keeper Kiran but Minerva shot stopper came out quickly to save his side.

In another show of combination play Chencho was brilliantly set up by William in the 73rd minute in the box but he decided to cut inside and in doing so lost possession.

Minerva centre back Eric Dano got a chance in the 80th minute when he took a shot after a deflected corner kick but his shot was nowhere near target.

Gangandeep Bali got a chance to get his name on the score-sheet but his weak effort didn't trouble the keeper.

Neroca finish second

Neroca FC wrapped up a memorable I-League debut season by finishing runners-up after holding heavyweights East Bengal to a 1-1 draw, here on Thursday.

It was heartbreak for both the Kolkata heavyweights, as they failed to win the title with East Bengal finishing fourth in the table behind arch-rivals Mohun Bagan who also played a 1-1 draw with Gokulam Kerala FC.

In quest for the elusive I-League title, East Bengal required to win the match and pray for a favourable result from other two matches.

But with eventual champions Minerva Punjab winning 1-0 over Churchill Brothers at Panchkula, East Bengal fought a losing battle.

The Khalid Jamil's men also had an uninspiring first-half that saw them squander at least four opportunities, and trail by Felix Chidi's 42nd minute goal.

In the second-half, East Bengal showed some urgency and their Nigerian leading scorer Dudu Omagbemi, who missed at least three chances, finally found the net in the 73rd minute.

But that was not enough, as Neroca FC put up a solid defence backed by goalkeeper Lalit Thapa who was adjudged man-of-the-match for his brilliant show under the bar.

"We were inspired by Aizawl FC's I-League triumph in their maiden appearance last season. I hope many more teams from Northeast come up in future," Thapa tsaid at the post-match conference.

It was a tale of missed chances for East Bengal who squandered at least four attempts at the goal including a sitter by Joby Justin in the 36th minute, as the Manipur held a one-goal advantage at the break.

Justin found himself in front of an open net from a cross coming in the right from Mahmoud Al Amna as the goalkeeper was completely caught out.

But Justin failed to turn and push the ball into the empty net, a minute after Dudu Omagbemi missed his second chance in the first half.

Chidi cut inside the one defender marking him inside the box, ran a little to his left and the goalkeeper is left scampering for the ball.

Keeping his calm, Chidi turned it in to draw the first blood.

Neroca FC mounted pressure on East Bengal through Subhas Singh and Fabien Vorbe.

East Bengal finally found the equaliser with Dudu finding the target from a Lalram Chullova cross.

East Bengal players exchanged four passes before Chullova curled the cross inside the box and Dudu converted it with a brilliant header.

In the last minute, Katsumi Yusa curled a corner inside the box and it seemed Saran Singh handed the ball as East Bengal furiously appealed for a penalty.

But referee Rowan Arumughan outrightly rejected it as East Bengal ended another season without a trophy in the top flight league.