Bangalore: Pune FC waltzed into their first-ever second spot in the I-League winning a ten-goal thriller against Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Bangalore in Round-23 at the Bangalore Football Stadium (KFA), Tuesday.
In what turned out to be a memorable game for Pune FC the 6-4 final scoreline turned out to be the 12th win of the season. Importantly, the three points swelled their tally to 43 points and now trail Dempo SC (47 pts).
It was the first time that Pune FC netted six goals in a match, which was made possible by a brace from strikers’ Subash Singh (9th and 65th minutes) and Mandjou Keita (34th and 35th) respectively and a goal each by central midfielder Douhou Pierre (44th) and substitute Maninder Singh (88th).
The victory was undoubtedly sweet for Pune FC, but it was the home side who put on a spirited fight to narrow the lead from 1-5 to 4-5 with four minutes to go before letting go the advantage after the visitors struck their sixth.
Leading the HAL fight-back was Rohit Chand (1st, 72nd and 86th minutes) and striker Jagaba Hamza (69th minute).
The game began with the league’s bottom placed side going one up as an unmarked Rohit nodded home a Vinoth Kumar cross from the left.
Pune FC took time to settle and took eight minutes therafter to equalize. Douhou set up Subash with a great pass that the striker latched on to and drilled past the HAL ’keeper P Pramod.
Having drawn level, both HAL and Pune FC did their bit to push into each other’s final third. Pune FC had a free kick from just outside the penalty box give the ’keeper an easy collection, Keita then cpatalising on a through ball lost his footing at the wrong time. HAL likewise had Malemngangba Meitei head over a cross from Vinoth.
Keita then was shown the yellow card when on one of his runs lost his footing and fell,which the referee viewed as stimulation!
However, seven minutes after getting booked unnecessarily Keita headed Pune FC into the lead. Karma Tsewang won a foul leaving Douhou systematically flat the ball for Keita to finish.
No sooner the game resumed, central midfielder Lester Fernandez set off on a solo before releasing to an unmarked Keita who did the needful to put Pune FC 3-1 up.
Keita, then, missed a sitter shooting high and wide in the 40th minute, before Douhou finding company in Karma worked himself in the clear. Karma finding Shanmugam Venkatesh on the left released giving the experienced midfielder enough space to set Douhou with a clear shot. Dohou smashed it powerfully into the right corner.
As the clock ticked to the half way stage, Subash struck the post and off the rebound Lester went over and thus made no further change to the 4-1 lead Pune FC had.
HAL, on resumption, slipped further despite Hamza and Karthigeyan getting a shot on goal respectively.
Twenty minutes into the second session, Pune FC swelled their lead to four goal when Subash tapped in the ball after Keita’s try was blocked by Pramod and the rebound coming straight in the path of Subash.
Up 5-1, Pune Fc found themselves caught in HAL turning on the pace and scoring thrice in 17 minutes. Hamza began HAL’s rally, before Rohit knocked in twice, including one off a deflection to indicate that all is not over.
Douhou at the other end missed by a whisker to take the pressure away, before Subrata in his own way to take the heat off the Pune Fc goal was pulled up for time wasting.
Settling down again, Pune FC had Subash once again strike the post, only this time substitute Maninder Singh (on for Karma) was alert to knock in the tenth strike for the day!
