A ground resembling a paddy field on the eve of a final was no way to end a tournament. The poor conditions at the ILS Law College ground saw Mahararashtra Institute of Technology (MIT) cling on to a Nilesh Natu strike to down Institute of Management Education and claim the IME Inter-Collegiate Invitational soccer title today.

IME began in style and attacked from the start. The attacks were more of skimming movements, that traversed deep into the MIT half.

At places the ball hardly travelled, leaving both the teams struggling.

To make headway into their rival halves. Moreover MIT did make an all-out attempt to play organised football, but found the IME defence tough to break. After repeated efforts Nilesh, got the break-through in the 23rd minute through a free-kick won by MIT. The kick taken by Mandar Tamhane yards outside the box found the well positioned Nilesh head home past the advanced goalkeeper Sourabh.

In the second-half IME down 0-1, tried to unsettle the MIT defence with constant through passes which fritter away as MIT played a defensive game.

Forcing the pace, the MIT goal had right-out Ranjit Thite (IME) chance his foot, with a resultant of going over the bar.