NEROCA FC win second division league title : Indian domestic club football's top tier next season
Source: The Sangai Express/ With agencies input

Imphal/ Delhi, May 22 2017: North Eastern Re-Organising Cultural Association Football Club (NEROCA FC) have won the 2016-17 edition of 2nd Division League and are on their way to the I-League for the very first time in their history.

NEROCA FC today won the second division league beating LoneStar Kashmir FC 4-1 to become the first team from Manipur to achieve the feat.

The Imphal-based club beat Lonestar Kashmir 4-1 in Srinagar in the penultimate round on Tuesday to achieve an unassailable seven point lead over second placed Southern Samity, who have a game in hand.

The victory in Kashmir lifted NEROCA to 23 points from 9 matches, 7 points clear of Kolkata's Southern Samity.

It means the Orange Brigade will be playing top-flight football next season for the first time in 52 years of their existence.

Also, they would represent the state of Manipur for the very first time .

Having secured the title with a game in hand, NEROCA FC become the latest emerging side from the footballing hotbed of Northeastern India.

This season's I-League champions Aizawl FC too followed a similar route three seasons ago when they won the 2014-15 edition of the 2nd Division Coached by Gift Raikhan, a former Pune FC academy coach, NEROCA FC emerged as leaders from Group B in the preliminary round.

In the final round, NEROCA FC are yet to be beaten, racing to 23 points after playing out seven wins and two draws from the nine games.

strengthened their roster with the inclusions of Japan bom Indian midfielder Arata Izumi and former Bengaluru FC man Malemnganba Meitei among others.

Incidentally, in the last game of the season NEROCA FC host second-placed Southern Samity at their 30,000 seater home ground, Khuman Lampak Stadium.

Having never dropped points at home, the boys from Northeast India would hope to end the season on a winning note as they lift the trophy and put Manipur on the footballing map of India.

AIFF general secretary Kushal Das lavished praise on the champions saying: "After Aizawl FC's success we have another team from the North East who are keeping the flag flying high.

"I am sure their achievement will encourage more to take up the sport and spur off another social revolution, this time in Manipur" .

Following their sole loss in the zonal round to Mohammedan Sporting in January 2017, Neroca FC went on to continue an enviable unbeaten run of 12 matches including today's win against Lonestar Kashmir FC.

In the final round, the Gift Raikhan-coached side conceded only three goals in eight matches while netting not less than fifteen.

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