REAL MONA FC crowned themselves champions of the inaugural Kingston & St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA)/Campari Championship League with a narrow 1-0 win over Meadforest FC at Stadium East on Sunday.

Real Mona went into the final as slight underdogs, having previously lost 0-1 to Meadforest, and on Sunday they were made to defend, in large part, the first half by the Meadforest team.

But Girvon Brown gave Real Mona the winner in the 52nd minute.

Real Mona Coach David Lalor admitted his team was outplayed in the first half, before tactical adjustments paved the way for the win.

“At some point in the game Meadforest had the advantage over us in patches but we made some adjustments in the second half and it paid off for us.

“It was a tough game, Meadforest is a tough team, but you expect a final to be something like this. It was a good final,” he said.

Lalor was pleased to have beaten Meadforest in what was the key moment of the season.

“The only team to have defeated us during this season was Meadforest so for us to it’s a good return to give them the same thing they gave us in the league; and I believe we won the game when it mattered most — in the final.”

“It’s a good feeling. It’s the first time for Real Mona so for me it’s a good thing. It’s a good thing for the management team and President Peter Moses, so at the end of the day I think the team and the club did well for themselves,” he said.

Calvert Fitgerald, the Meadforest coach, was left to bemoan the missed chances.

“I am very disappointed in the finishing because we have been working on the finishing for over a month now because we knew that was our weakness, and it came and haunted us,” he said.

Having taken control of the club just before the start of the season, Fitzgerald vowed to continue to work to take the team to the next level.

In Sunday’s final Meadforest could easily have gone into the half-time break two or three goals to the good had it not been for their continued profligacy in front of goal.

Their inability to convert the chances, along with an excellent defensive display by Robert Williams in particular, kept the match scoreless. Williams came up with two brilliant, last-ditch tackles to deny Meadforest, scoring twice inside the first 20 minutes of the match.

Real Mona came out a different team in the second half and in addition to having a lot more of the ball, got the all-important goal when the veteran Brown nodded home from almost on the goal line.

Real Mona received $1 million for taking home the title while runners-up Meadforest pocketed $500,000.

In the KSAFA Major League final Maverley/Hughenden came from behind to defeat Mountain View FC 3-2.

Maverley/Hughenden claimed the $700,000 cash prize for the win.