A DEPLETED Khalsa saw their Midland Premier Division title hopes take a bit hit after they lost out to mid-table Stourport on Saturday.
In what was their penultimate home game of the season, Khalsa started the match brightly despite having to cope with a mixture of injuries and illnesses.
Jas Singh missed an early attempt at goal before the visitors hit Khalsa on the counter attack and from a resultant short corner they were able to dispatch the opening goal of the game.
Khalsa began to dominate possession and restricted their opponents to long aerial balls and soon enough Aaron Nagra got the hosts back on level terms from a short corner.
Gurminder Ghattaura missed a golden opportunity to put Khalsa in front when Anit Chudasama played the ball across the face of goal but a last ditch sweep at the ball from a defender distracted Ghattaura from making contact.
After the interval Khalsa remained unchanged allowing England Masters international Sean Robinson to unleash some creative play down the flanks with some excellent pin-point passes.
But against the run of play another aerial ball from Stourport was not dealt with and this allowed a visiting forward to get behind the Khalsa defence and beat keeper Elliot Rider with a calm finish.
Khalsa were unlucky not to be awarded a penalty stroke from another Nagra corner which was stopped on the line by a defender.
However they were soon to equalise again when Nagra found a pin point pass to David Harris in the circle and he expertly fired home to level the scores again.
There looked to be only one winner as Khalsa pressed in search of the winner with Steve Davison firing agonisingly wide after some impressive trickery.
But the hosts caught Khalsa out on the counter attack and when Nagra was caught in possession, it allowed Stourport a route through on goal and Rider was beaten for a third time to consign the hosts to their first home defeat of the season.
Khalsa now sit five points behind leaders Nottingham University ahead of this Saturday fixture against Northampton Saints.
