Pune: Pune FC faces the test of belief to overcome any odd when they take on Shillong Lajong FC in an away I-League game at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Shillong on Saturday.
So be it the chilly and breezy weather, the vociferous home support, four key players missing for the second time in a row or the fact that SLFC is the only side victory has remained elusive, Round-17 will be about the players’ confidence against a tall job on hand.
However, in saying so, Pune FC has equal and fair share of positives to look up to. The unbeaten 10-match run (the best by any team this season) they carry into this afternoon match, the dipping form of their north-east opponents that includes two losses in a row and winless in four games – the longest this season.
Coach Derrick Pereira explains, “Lajong have some good players in their midst. They recently added a couple of players in striker Sushil Singh and Matthew Mayora apart from signing Rennedy Singh and thus will be a good team.”
The signings, primarily, reason with the fact that SLFC are only above the bottom two teams on the scoring count.
While SLFC, otherwise, remain a tough nut to crack at home, the factor that drives the team and needs to replicate elsewhere as well is the 12th man support – the fans – who turn out to egg the players on. For the record, the game on Saturday is a sold out affair, which means a 24,000-strong backing!
Quizzed on the support making a difference in the match, Derrick felt, “We’ve played in Kolkata to huge galleries… but yes the crowd will help the players play better. And I am sure we will entertain. And yes we are prepared for the game.”
In fact, in similar match-day atmosphere SLFC has gone down to Churchill Brothers and Dempo SC to provide reason for Pune FC to look at gaining. Incidentally, both losses came on the newly laid turf unlike the past when teams complained about the uneven Shillong pitch.
Pune FC, meanwhile, has injury and suspension problems. It begins with the unexpected jerk India striker Jeje Lalpekhlua had on his left knee in the last match against Air-India that has put him out for at least eight weeks. Apart from Jeje, defenders Srikanth Ramu-Caitano Costa and midfielder Lester Fernandez are serving a one-match suspension after receiving two cautions in two separate matches.
On Jeje’s absence, Coach Derrick added, “He’s been part of the team since long and needed rest and this lay off period should do him a world good to comeback strongly mentally.”
The foursomes’ absence, however, will be made-up with the return of regular central medios Douhou Pierre and Baldeep Singh apart from left wing back Gurjinder Kumar and Anas Edathodika, which speaks of the depth and variety Pune FC sport.
Upfront striker Jeh Williamson adds variety, in the midfield Arata Izumi, Paresh Shivalkar, Maninder Singh, while in defence Rollingson Hyungo works out options that Coach Derrick has in his arsenal.
Depending on the line-up for Saturday, all three Pune FC players – Mandjou Keita, Douhou, Shanmugam Venkatesh - who have scored against SLFC over the past 3 seasons (2009-onwards) can figure as a unit.
Both teams have played thrice in the I-League and SLFC have a one-match win advantage, which came in the first half of March 2010. The other two games have ended in draws. Saturday’s game overall will be the seventh meeting.
Interestingly, Pune FC are also up against a team that are unbeaten against teams from Maharashtra this season and have one win and three draws in four games overall. On the flip side whenever any opposition has scored two goals in the league, Lajong have lost.
Victory would mean Pune FC breaking into Club 30 and a chance to regain the one place they lost on the league table after drawing the last game.
