At the University of Pune ground today, Wanoworie won a lost battle against Knights while Fatima failed to nurture on the 12th minute goal scored by Clement D'Souza going down to Parshuramians 1-2.

Knights held an upper hand for 44 minutes as they combined well and the positional game put the Wanoworie on tenterhooks. The 45th minute goal they conceded transformed their moments and they looked a complete different side. And the official Amar Pardeshi who was right in warning three players for intentional handling of the ball with a yellow card rubbed more salt on the Knights wound when he denied them a penalty at the fag end of the game.

It was in the 56th minute off the sixth flag-kick earned by Knights, Christy Robert curved the ball into the goal, but the alert custodian Donald Fernandes punched the ball back into the game, and one of their defender Arul Das jumped to clear the ball, but the managed to get the ball in between his arm-pit, although it was not intentional, it was a penalty which referee Amar Pardeshi overruled.

Every game seemed to improve the Knights approach with changing gameplans but it did not work when they reached the penalty area here today.

The hard working Christy Robert was again in the limelight playing all over the field. And his understanding with his forwards, especially Michael D'Cruz and his younger brother Thomas Robert was a treat for the eyes. The trio made use of all the vacant places in their act, putting the rival defence in a real torment. However they failed in the end game fumbling in front of the goal. To add to their owes even the goal-post came to the rescue of the Wanoworie. And it was Lalchand Parmar, the unlucky player.

Nilesh Naidu excelled in the defence along Shakeel Shaikh and A Fernandes. It was another battle of nerves for Wanoworie who have won most of their matches via the shoot-out. But they did well to find the target in just four visits they made to the rival goal. The game was just three minutes and Wanoworie were down with two yellow cards. Arul Das and Dattatrai Jambulkar were the players, but they cooled down and managed to keep their rivals at bay.

In the 44th minute Wanoworie went one-up. Opportunist Kenneth Anthony booted home from a close range.

Knights increased the tempo which saw them being booked twice with a yellow card. In the last four minutes they earned five flag-kicks, which was only the consolation before bidding farewell to the championship.

Playing with 10 players in the first 10 minutes of play, Parshuramians but for the 10th minute blunder by their defenders which costed them a goal, they were all over Fatima Sports Club who were menacing in the few visits they had in the rival citadel.

However, it was Fatima's keeper Sameer D'Souza who had to come up with his best which he executed with authority in two brilliant saves that kept them off more harsh treatment. He was airborne on two ocassions, once Samit Shetty's long ranger in the 23rd and later Rahul Ghadge's try in the 29th minute.

The Fatima's strikers Titus Lobo, Pascal Dias and Franco Soares were kept on a look-out with Clement D'Souza, Michael Vaz and Michael D'Souza being the architects in coming up with some threatening moves.

Seasoned campaigner Satish Deodhar was the main play maker for the Parshuramians. It was his anchor role which saw them find the net twice.

Rahul and Rohit, the Ghadge brothers played well with Gopi Lonkar in counter attacks.

It was the presence of mind by Clement D'Souza which saw the Fatima forge ahead in the 10th minute of play.

He was put through by Titus Lobo and he looked up and tossed the ball over the Parshuramians keeper Nilesh Pawar who was well in advance into the vacant net.

Parshuramians who dominated had to wait till the 29th minute before scoring level in the scoreboard. Satish Deodhar floated the flag-kick, and Ritesh Mehta who was not marked by the Fatima defenders nodded home past Sameer D'Souza under the Fatima bar 1-1.

And with just five minute to go for the final whistle Satish Deodhar fed Rohit Ghadge to score the match winner for them.

TEAMS

Knights XI: Vishal Parkhanti (GK), Nilesh Naidu, Shakeel Shaikh, A Fernandes, Nandu Mogre, Christy Robert, Michael D'Cruz, Thomas Robert, Reymond Pillay, Lalchand Parmar, Vijay Jadhav, Azim Shaikh.

Wanoworie: Donald Fernandes, Mangesh Kharat, Raju Gaikwad, Arul Das, Lazarus Das, Fayaz Sayyed, Sudhir Reddy, Kenneth Anthony, Edwin Nair, Lawrence Anthony, Nilesh M.

Fatima: Sameer D'Souza, Roshan D'Souza, Bryan Lobo, Stanley Fernandes, Nazir Shaikh, Michael Vaz, Clement D'Souza, Patrick D'Souza, Franco Soares, Pascal Dias, Titus Lobo, Domnic D'Cruz, Mangesh Nabar, Rishikesh Choudhary.

Parshuramians: Nilesh Pawar, Samit Shetty, Niranjan Purkar, Sagar Mahaisunkar, Abhijit Borate, Rahul Ghadge, Rohit Ghadge, Ritesh Mehta, Satish Deodhar, Gopi Lonkar, nitin Ganjwe.