Action during the Santosh Trophy final between Goa and Maharashtra on Monday. (PTI)

Kochi: Formidable Goa, asserting their supremacy right through the tourney, clinched the prestigious Santosh Trophy defeating a fighting Maharashtra 3-1 in the extra time in the Air India Express National Football Championship here on Monday night.

The two teams had ended in a deadlock scoring one goal apiece at the regulation time.

Felip Gomes (73rd), Nicholu Rodrigues in the 15th minute of the first extra time and substitute Joaquim Abranches completed the tally in the ninth minute of the second extra time for the Goans, while Soccor Velho (72nd) found the target for Maharashtra.

In a befitting finale to the tournament, both Goa and Maharashtra enthralled the soccer fans with their pleasing game. Though Goans had slight edge in the exchanges, Maharashtra too matched their famed rivals and on a couple of occasions threatened to forge ahead.

Goans, could have won the match by a bigger margin, but for the inaccurate marksmanship of their frontmen Freddy Mascarenhas and Antony Pereira, who had messed up chances from close.

Goans had also missed a golden opportunity when they earned a penalty for an off the ball foul by Maharashtra goalkeeper Israt Kamal on Climax Lawrence.

Referee Shaji C. Kurien of Kerala had no hesitation in pointing to the dreaded point and Climax, who took the shot, drove over the horizontal much to the dismay of his teammates.

Goa, enjoying a slight upper hand over Maharashtra, went for the attack from the word go and were all over their rivals initially.

But their attempt to find an early breakthrough went in vain as the Maharashtra defence manned by Santosh Koli and Clifford Kilmo tightened the screws in the rear.