South Korea’s Rim Chang-woo lashed home the winner in the last minute of extra time to give the Asian Games hosts a 1-0 win over fierce rivals North Korea in the final of the men’s soccer tournament on Thursday.

The scrappy goal at the end of 120 tense minutes sent South Korea’s wide-eyed players raging around the pitch in a crazed mix of relief and joy, while their shattered opponents dropped to their knees in tears, beating the ground in despair. Just 24 hours earlier, South Koreans had come out in force to support the North in the women’s final against Japan, waving flags, hanging banners and singing of their desire for unification of the divided peninsula. But there was no time for harmony or sentiments of Korean nationhood on Thursday.

This was a frantic, full-blooded Korean derby complete with meaty challenges, short-tempered skirmishes and a South Korean crowd in full voice demanding victory over the North.

Tense finish

The visitors had the best chance of regulation when Pak Kwang Ryong bulleted a header off the bar in the 75th minute, and while the South dictated the pace and possession they rarely troubled North Korean goalkeeper Ri Myong Guk.

The tension somehow rose in extra time, with North Korean coach Yun Jong Su kicking out at a water bottle and remonstrating with an assistant referee, and just when it looked like a penalty shootout was coming the South grabbed the winner. North Korea’s exhausted defenders failed to clear a corner and the ball fell to Rim, who smashed it home from close range to bring an enormous roar of relief from the 47,000 crowd.

After receiving their gold medals, which frees them from two years of military service, South Korea’s players draped themselves in their country’s flag and did a lap of honour, before throwing coach Lee Kwang-jong in the air in

celebration. Lee paid tribute to his team for winning South Korea’s first gold since the 1986 Asiad in Seoul and praised towering striker Kim Shin-wook, who has been struggling with injury but made an impact as a late substitute.