Music: {allcanada} Twice is nice

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EDMONTON -- Avon Cobourne shut the door on the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Cobourne ran for two touchdowns, including a key two-yard scamper, to power the Montreal Alouettes to a compelling 21-18 win over Saskatchewan in the 98th Grey Cup on Sunday.

Cobourne helped Montreal to a second straight Grey Cup win over Saskatchewan following last year's stunning victory. In the 2009 final, Damon Duval missed from 43 yards out on the final play, only to get a second chance after the Riders were called for too many men on the field.

Duval then hit from 33 yards out to give Montreal the 28-27 win.

Montreal earned its third Grey Cup win in eight appearances since 2000.

Despite several trips to the final and two straight titles, Alouettes coach Marc Trestman wasn't about to call his team a dynasty.

"We decided early on we weren't going to be the defending champions nor would be in a position to repeat as a team," Trestman said. "The guys bought into it, they truly believed that they had to earn it on their own merit. We went up against the best that the league had for us and were able to find our way through adversity much of the time."

Montreal receiver Jamel Richardson, who caught eight passes for 109 yards, was named the game MVP while Saskatchewan defensive lineman Keith Shologan was the top Canadian.

Richardson, who put up over 100 yards for the third straight Grey Cup, was the first receiver to win the MVP award since Edmonton's Jason Tucker in 2003.

"It's not about me, it's about those guys in the locker-room," Richardson said. "I didn't do it for me, I did it for them. That's all that mattered going into the game, doing it for the next person. That was our thing going into this game."

With Commonwealth Stadium again a sea of Roughriders green, the Riders stayed in the game due to a Duval miss. With Montreal up 21-18, Duval couldn't connect from 41 yards out.

Saskatchewan returned the ball to the Alouettes 16-yard line with roughly a minute and a half remaining, giving the sellout gathering of 63,317, an Edmonton Grey Cup record, a wild finish.

Saskatchewan pulled to within 21-18 on Darian Durant's one-yard TD pass to Marc Parenteau at 11:52 of the fourth. It was set up by a 31-yard reception by Andy Fantuz to put the Riders on the Alouettes' one-yard line.

Montreal countered by driving to the Saskatchewan 33-yard line, only to have Duval miss and give the Riders another chance. But there would be no comeback victory as Billy Parker intercepted Durant's desperate toss at the Saskatchewan 37-yard line with under 56 seconds remaining.

It was the only turnover of the game.

"He didn't want to take a sack in that situation and we really didn't want him to take a sack in that situation," Roughriders coach Ken Miller said. "They got the interception and it was a tough play in that situation."

Despite a second straight crushing loss in the title game, Miller was pleased with the fight the Roughriders showed on Sunday.

"We weren't able to move the ball consistently on offence and we weren't able to get them stopped consistently with our defence but I'm really proud of my players," Miller said. "We battled a really good Montreal team."

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Governor General David Johnston were among those in attendance. Harper paid a visit to the Alouettes' locker-room after the game to congratulate the champions.

The close affair followed the regular-season script for these two teams. They split their series 1-1, with Saskatchewan winning a thrilling overtime 54-51 contest July 1 before Montreal took a 30-26 decision in August.

But on Sunday, it was the defences that took centre stage, especially Montreal's, which forced Saskatchewan at one point to punt on eight straight possessions.

Montreal, which despite posting the CFL's second-best record (12-6) was just a 3 1/2 favourite over the Riders (10-8, second in West Division).

The Alouettes were making their third straight Grey Cup appearance under Trestman, who became the first consecutive Grey Cup winner since Don Matthews of Toronto (1996-'97).

Saskatchewan was in the title game for the third time since 2007.

Fantuz said Sunday's loss left a different feeling with the Roughriders compared to last year's crushing defeat.

"Last year we felt like we just gave the game away by kind of sitting with our tail between our legs and letting them crawl back into the game. But this year, more of a back-and-forth game and either team could have came out," Fantuz said.

Duval, who also missed from 31 yards out in the first half, connected from 43 yards out just 1:37 into the fourth to give the Alouettes a 14-11 lead.

Following an entertaining half-time performance by Bachman & Turner, Montreal took its opening march of the second half 83 yards on 14 plays -- including a successful fake punt -- with Duval's 22-yard field goal at 9:26 making it 11-11.

Duval finished with two converts, a single and two field goals.

Wes Cates had Saskatchewan's touchdown. Warren Kean booted the convert and field goal while Eddie Johnston added a single.

It was an errant Duval boot that allowed Saskatchewan to rally for an 11-8 half-time lead.

Following Duval's single off a missed 31-yard field goal, Cates pulled Saskatchewan to within 8-7 on the final play of the first quarter. It capped a smart eight-play, 75-yard march before the resurgent Riders went ahead 10-8 on Kean's 27-yard field goal at 3:10 of the second.

Johnston's 53-yard single with a minute remaining gave Saskatchewan its three-point lead. It came moments after the Riders dodged a huge bullet when Montreal's Richard Estelle stepped in front of a Durant pass in the flats and had a clear path to the end zone but dropped the sure pick-six to preserve the West Division champion's two-point lead.

"Every game takes on its own unusual storylines and could go many different ways, Trestman said. "We played the game as it came to us and tried to do the things that we prepared to do. Credit has to go Ken and his staff and his defensive staff did a heck of a job, they had a great plan. We just were able to sustain and get enough big plays to try and keep the ball out of their offence's hands."

Cobourne opened the scoring with a three-yard TD run at 5:39 of the first. The four-play, 38-yard scoring drive was set up by a 15-yard no yards penalty against Saskatchewan that gave Montreal the ball deep in the Riders' territory. But it was Trestman's decision to punt on third-and-one that pinned the West Division champion on its 14-yard line.

NOTES -- The 50-50 draw for Sunday's game was worth a whopping $127,229 ... Bachman & Turner made their first Grey Cup appearance but Randy Bachman played at the 2000 Grey Cup in Calgary as a member of The Guess Who ... The Alouettes beat the Eskimos 25-16 in 2002 when the Grey Cup was last held here ... Saskatchewan lost defensive back Leron Mitchell to a fractured left leg in the first. The former Western Mustang missed 14 months recovering from a broken leg suffered July 4, 2008 against the B.C. Lions ... Juno nominee Down With Webster was the pre-game entertainment ... Calvillo, Cahoon and offensive lineman Scott Flory were the only three players to have appeared in all eight of Montreal's Grey Cup appearances since 2000 ... Referee Bud Steen worked the final game of his 30-year career Sunday. Steen appeared in his 510th career contest and seventh Grey Cup ... Fantuz, who became the first Canadian to lead the CFL in receiving this year since '95, had two first-half catches for 19 yards after registering just two receptions for 11 yards in Saskatchewan's first two playoff contests.