Pune: Pune FC bounced back into winning ways toppling table toppers Dempo SC 1-0 in an I-league Round 19 encounter at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, Goa on Sunday.
The moral boosting victory was Pune FC’s first over the Goans in their backyard in three meetings and also turned out to be sweet revenge for the loss (1-3) they suffered in Pune in the first leg. Overall, it was Pune FC’s fourth win in eight encounters.
Striker Arata Izumi (19th minute), preferred over Subash Singh, headed home a cross at the far post after Baldeep Singh released a deft cross from the right flank. Arata met the ball a few feet away from the ‘keeper Subhasish Roy Chowdhury to powerfully put the ball away past a wrong footed defence owing to the accuracy of the cross.
Having suffered a 2-4 loss to Sporting Clube de Goa in the last round, the result proved Pune FC’s capablilities of raising their game in the big matches.
The result took Pune FC’s point tally to 31 and into sixth place though some matches in the round are yet to be played.
Pune FC began the game making four changes from the last game by bringing in defenders Othallo Tabia for Srikanth Ramu and Caitano Costa for Chika Wali, medio Shanmugam Venkatesh for Lester Fernandez and striker Arata.
With the Goans kicking off proceedings, Pune FC did well to stay put every time an Dempo attack came through before Anas Edathodika conceded a free-kick bringing down Ranti Martins, which ended drilled into the wall.
At the other end, it Pune FC’s first deep thrust came through Arata Izumi, who chested down a Venkatesh cross from the left, but was pulled up for a foul.
While the Pune FC defence played compact, Venkatesh miss pass was a scare, but a late reacting Koko Sakibo on top of the box allowed the slip-up to pass.
With moves fizzling ahead of the striking third, Ranti provided the game’s first strike on target, which Pune FC keeper Amrinder Singh confidently covered the grounder. At the other end Venkatesh found Karma Tsewang with his cross but again the anxiousness of pushing forward ended in the Pune FC player pushing and fouled.
Central defender Costa then brilliantly stopped Koko’s run inside the box with a slide tackle and join the clean defending Pune FC were executing.
A series of throw-ins on the right put the pressure on Pune FC and on a breakaway move on the right had Arata nod in Baldeep’s cross to go up 1-0.
Keeper Amrinder, meanwhile, was confident in the air and collected cleanly, which kept up the all round good work. Medio Douhou Pierre then made his presence felt with a bulldozing run and ended up attempting twice, the second off a rebound from top of the box.
Twenty-eight minutes on and Keita missed an open chance of doubling the lead. A long kick by Amrinder found Keita control in the Dempo half. With defender Sameer Naik challenging his run, Keita did well to hold possession of the ball despite stumbling, but go over with his effort from inside the box even as the keeper advanced.Close on the heels of the attack, Dempo SC scared Pune FC. Cliffford Miranda running to a Ranti pass on the right got past Venkatesh and once in the clear inside the box did well to lob over Amrinder who advanced. Last man Costa, on hand, did well to retrieve and come out with a last ditch save.
Having survived a close call, Amrinder grew in confidence and put on a great performance. A reflex action save to a Ranti try who capatalised on a deflection Denzill Theobald created and a Koko header on target signed off the first half.
On resumption, Dempo SC attacked at will, but Pune FC who pulled back their midfield to assist the defence held out well.
Two close chances by Dempo among the many attacks gave Pune FC hiccups. The first when in Clifford Miranda’s header of Denzill’s cross was kept out and five minutes later Joaquim Abranches was denied in a melee than ensued a yard ahead of the goalline. On both occasions, Amrinder stood tall.
At the other end, Lester (on for Douhou) came up with a cracking left footer from 30 yards out but into the keeper to release the pressure. Later Paresh Shivalkar (on for Venkatesh) almost connected from close after Keita headed a Othallo cross, and got past the defence. The wrong-sided Paresh, however, was not in a positon to pull back the ball.
Into the last five minutes of injury time, Pune FC survived three close moments. Off an indirect free-kick on the right Sameer found Denzill on top of the box. Denzill found Joy Ferrao in clear 10-yards out, but Joy’s connection went over. Anas then cleared just in time ahead of Peter Carvalho, before Amrinder again blocked a Denzill try.
