Aakarsh Gubbi’s solitary goal helped Aditya Birla World Academy (Tardeo) win their first ever boys U-16 Division-II Mumbai School Sports Association (MSSA) inter-school football title, as they beat Jamnabai Narsee (Juhu) 1-0 at the Wings Sports Centre, Bandra, on Friday.

The Tardeo outfit also earned a promotion to the prestigious Division-I next year by reaching this final. Aditya Birla began the match by offering glimpses of their attacking intent as they enjoyed longer spells of possession, probing patiently for openings. However, Jamnabai’s compact defence, marshalled effectively by Taikhoom Kagalwala, ensured the scoreboard stayed 0-0 till half-time.

After the break, the balance of play shifted. Jamnabai looked fresher, began dictating terms in the midfield, and pushed the Aditya Birla backline deep into their own half. However, it was the Tardeo school that opened the scoring through a counter-attack in the 37th minute. Sunoy Basu, cutting in smartly from the left flank, spotted an opening and played an accurate pass into the box which Aakarsh tapped in. Thereafter,  Aditya Birla displayed admirable grit to survive Jamnabai’s late charge and hold firm until the final whistle.