``When I got the team their enthusiasm was at a low ebb. But now, they are raring to go,'' notes the Railwayman.

While the team has many a youngster in its ranks, the players who are most likely to make a difference for the team are the old hands. ``Age may not quite be on our side, we do have a lot of experience in our ranks,'' reveals Puthran.

Prominent among those are defender Vijay Thapa and forwards Francis and Ryan. But injury to Ryan's right knee during a practice match has given the team strategy a shake.

Planning is one department where UBI have left no stone unturned. Differentstrategies have been meticulouly chalked out for different rivals, with the basic idea of crowding the mid-field. ``This way the ball can be kept out of our territory as much as possible.''

Though Puthran would have liked to spend more time with the team, he feels the players' efforts more than make up for the short preparation time they had on hand. Says Puthran: ``We will play to the best of our ability. The rest we leave it to God.''

FACTFILE

Coach: Anand Puthran

Manager: Julian D'Souza

Players to watch: Vijay Thapa, Suresh Mendon

TEAM

Goalkeepers: Nadeem Ansari, Kiran Shetty, Ateeq

Defenders: Suresh Mendon, Vijay Thapa, Rakesh, Vijay Kunder, Brendon, Julian D'Souza, Michael, Pandey

Mid-fielders: Mario, Steven, Dheeru, Rajesh, Ameen, Marshall

Forwards: Francis, Ryan, Keenan, Lenz