I-LEAGUE Media Team
Pune: Pune FC rose to the occasion to win the Maharashtra Derby and they leapfrogged to the top of the Hero I-League table with 10 points from four matches, at the Balewadi Sports Complex Stadium here on Sunday.
Playing before a vociferous crowd that rooted for the home team throughout the match, Pune FC never lost sight of the target as they pumped in goals when it mattered to keep ahead of Mumbai FC.
Luciano Sabrosa opened the scoring early in the first half before Josimar equalized for Mumbai FC. Montenegro player Darco Nikac gave Pune FC cheers 15 going into the half-time before a splendid combination between Edgar Marcelino, Nikac and Sueoka Ryuji saw the Japanese finishing with a textbook precision to put Pune FC 3-1 ahead.
Mumbai FC will be happy to see the lead reduce when Mohammed Rafi made it 3-2, one minute from full time, but Sunday belonged to Pune FC without doubt.
After four rounds in the I-League, Pune FC leads the championship standings—one point ahead of Shillong club Royal Wahingdoh (9 points). East Bengal are at No 3 position with 7 points.
Pune FC now travel to Kolkata to play Mohun Bagan, while Mumbai FC will host Sporting Clude de Goa, next week.
Unabated drumbeats provided just the perfect setting for the Maha Derby as Pune FC took their chances and stayed one-up on Mumbai all through the match. Tempers flared-up now and then, as it always does in derby encounters, but it wasn’t anything serious that referee A Rowan couldn’t handle.
He was forced to pull out six yellow cards much because of over-aggressive approach by the bottom-placed Mumbai FC.
Skirmishes began early in the match when Raju Yumnam badly tackled Milagres Gonsalves, who came crashing down on the ground. On the counter, Ashutosh Mehta took the ball well into Pune FC area before whipping it towards the net only to see goalkeeper Amrinder Singh collect it coolly.
Soon after, Sueoka Ryuji won a free-kick for Pune FC on the right wing only to convert it into corner.
Portuguese Marcelino’s perfect shot found its way to the far post where an unmarked Luciano Sabrosa drove the ball in to the melee. He was lucky to get to a rebound to play as he headed the ball past Mumbai FC goalkeeper Nidhin Lal AC.
Pune FC’s celebrations had hardly died down when Josimar found the equalizer. On a throw in by Cletus Paul that landed deep into the field, Milagres Gonsalves pounced on it and sent it towards the goal. Amrinder failed to collect and rebounded back into the play only to see Josimar slotting it into the nets.
Tempers flared up now and then before Marcelino set up Nikac in the 30th minute. The Portuguese is corner expert that Pune FC would like to rely on as he sent a ball that was poorly defended by Mumbai FC and Nikac pounced on it with a header going into the nettings.
On resumption, though Pune FC commanded much of the match, Mumbai FC nonetheless gave some tense moments to the home team.
In the 84th minute, Nikhil Kadam set up the move and rushed up with Mumbai FC having just three defenders in the box. The ball changed from Kadam to Marcelino to Nikac and then to Ryuji, who deflected it past Nidhinlal.
Mumbai FC found a consolation goal in the 89th minute through Mohammed Rafi as Pune FC relaxed as time ran out.
Hero of the Match – Ryuji Sueoka
