The wait is finally over for Mohammedan Sporting who won the Calcutta Football League after a gap of 40 years, defeating Railway FC 1-0 in the Premier Division A final at the Salt Lake Stadium on Thursday.

Marcus Joseph scored the all-important goal in the third minute of the match with a powerful right-footer. Mohammedan Sporting won their first Calcutta Football League title in 1934 and continued their domination till 1938, becoming the first team to take home the league for five consecutive years.

That was bettered by East Bengal who won the league for six years on the trot from 1970-75. Between 1982 and 2019, Mohammedan Sporting finished runners-up four times. The Indian Football Association-organised CFL did not take place last year due to the pandemic.

On Thursday, Mohammedan Sporting could have won by a bigger margin but their forwards failed to convert chances. Sk Faiaz once had a clear chance but fumbled at the last moment.

Railway FC also created a few opportunities. On one such occasion, Mohammedan Sporting goalkeeper Mithun Samanta made a fine save to deny Sukumar Sardar of Railway FC.

“Mission accomplished. Mohammedan Sporting fans were waiting for this for the last 40 years. Now our focus shifts to the I-League. It will not be easy but this win will definitely boost our confidence,” football secretary and former India player Dipendu Biswas said.

“It’s huge achievement for us. Yes I have scored the only goal but that wouldn’t have mattered if we had lost the match. So more than the goal, what gives me satisfaction is that the team has won,” Joseph said.