TheSportsCampus

Pune FC blew a two-goal cushion before going down 2-4 to Sporting Clube de Goa in an away I-League Round 18 encounter at the Nehru Stadium, on Wednesday. A twin-strike by striker Mandjou Keita (7th and 21st) in the opening twenty-one minutes of the game put Pune FC in the driver's seat, before the Goans struck back through Kalu Ogba who converted a penalty-kick in the 30th minute and then added another off a long-ranger seconds before the breather to level the game at half time.

In a dramatic turn around, coupled with a soft fourth goal owing to the inexperience of goalkeeper, the Goans added two more through Games Moga (82nd) and Dawson Fernandes(90+3) to complete the win.

The loss ended Pune FC's eleven-match winning streak and continued to remain in 7th place in the league with 27 points.

With Abhra Mondal injured, Pune FC fielded young Amrinder Singh in goal and included defender Srikanth Ramu and medio Lester Fernandez in place of Othallo Tabia and Shanmugam Venkatesh.

After a sedate start confined to the both teams opting to hold posession, Pune FC pushed a move on the right that led to the opening goal. Karma Tsweang did well to lay back a pass to Douhou Pierre. The central midfielder with an open goal tried hard from a couple of yards into the penalty box only to have 'keeper Ashok Singh block. Keita unmarked on hand took this opportunity to finish at the far corner.

Stung by the goal, the Goans gave Pune FC a close moment when Dawson Fernandes, after collecting the ball from Anthony D'Souza, sent the ball across, inches wide leaving Amrinder wanting in reading the attempt.

In fact, Dawson turned out to be constant threat, but then Chika Wali repeatedly kept him in check. Having dominated play, Pune FC added another goal when medio Baldeep Singh, seeing the 'keeper a yard out of his position, crashed his effort past the custodian onto the horizontal and ballooned the ball high. As the Goan 'keeper tried tracking the ball, Keita, a shade taller, was quick to head the descending ball into an open net.

Down two goals, Pune FC had the Goans come at them and on two occasions absorb pressure. First when Amrinder ventured wide and deep and end up conceding a free-kick by collecting and blocking the ball in suspect position and then fend off a Dawson try.

The Goans efforts paid off when Moga gaining control of a ball was challenged by Chika. The defender who had his rival covered rushed the ball and Moga utalising this opportunity dived forward to earn the penalty-kick. Kalu sent Amrinder the wrong way with the resultant spot kick.

Pune FC thereafter seemed to hold back, though they did manage to spread the game and hold possession. Douhou went over with a free-kick, Baldeep after winning the ball from Prajot Naik ran out of ideas after running the right flank, then Douhou-Keita-Karma worked deep into the Goan defence and ended with nothing beyond.

Into the 38th minute, Keita forced the pace with to Douhou on left, who found Lester Fernandez get into the cat with a cross that found Karma at the other end. Karma in turn rounded the defender to set up Baldeep inside the box, but a wayward left footer wide off target was all that could come up.

Chika then had his header give the keeper a soft connection after Subash Singh supplied the cross off a deflection that came off Keita's free-kick into the wall.

At Pune FC's end, Gurjinder Kumar came off with an excellent header to keep out a Games Moga from getting a header to a cross sent across.

Into the one minute of added time in the first-half, custodian Amrinder was left a faction of a reaction late to a long low first timer taken by Kalu from 30-yards out. The well struck attempt made its way past the host of legs, after the SCG player capatalised on a loose ball that came off a block that Chika made to a Freiman Peixoto try on the right.

Changing ends, Pune FC slowed in pace and instead defended the half. At times they moved into the striking third, but again were left wanting with ideas. Twice Subash Singh went through, the first after finding Keita's company in a quick one two that ended with Subash trying on the run but onto a defender for a corner. Later, setting off on a solo he entered the penalty box, cut a defender and strangely played a wasted pass to the far side far from 15 yards when a try on the target could have been better.

Defender Anas Edathodika and Gurjinder came up with brilliant defending to keep a free-running Moga in check, Amrinder came up to block a Dawson strike after Frieman played him a through pass.

In between off counter attacks,on either side Anthony D'Souza let fly a screamer inches over the bar, Pune FC's Subash on the left carried the ball into the box only to have the keeper block, before Kalu ended another attack by heading over.

Eight minutes from full time, Subash lost the ball to Frieman in the midfield that led to the Goan player playing long to Moga. Controlling the ball the Sporting striker worked around the challenge from Srikanth Ramu before sending his right-footer past diving Amrinder's hands into the goal at second post as Chika watched on.

The home side added the fourth in casual sense. Dawson from the right floated the ball on target, which keeper Amrinder missed and end up turning to see the ball in goal.