U19 I-League: Pune FC exact revenge; beat Shivajians 3-1 away to seal a Pune-Derby win

Pune FC rallied from a goal down to log a stunning 3-1 win over DSK Shivajians FC in Under-19 I-League Round-6 encounter at the DSK Football Field in Loni on Tuesday.

In a hard fought encounter, it was striker Lallianzuala (7th minute) who put the hosts in the lead before Arif Shaikh pulled Pune FC level in the first half. Second half strikes from Farukh Choudhary (78th) and Arif (85th) handed Pune FC all three points.

The derby-win also helped Pune FC (13 pts) end Shivajians’ (15 pts) unbeaten run in the league and close the gap at the top of the table to two points after six rounds in the Maharashtra Zone.

The result not only extended Pune FC’s unbeaten run to four games but also was the first time they recorded back-to-back wins in this campaign.

The win was also a sweet revenge for the 1-3 loss Pune FC suffered to Shivajians in the first leg.

The fast paced game began with Pune FC soaking pressure as Shivajians made darting runs into the box in the opening five minutes. The hosts came close to scoring in the 4th minute of the game but were denied by some deep defending by Pune FC.

Shivajians however went up three minutes later through striker Lallianzuala who made a fine run and found a cross from Lalhriatpuia. He made no mistake in drilling the ball past Pune FC custodian Sukhdev Patil.

The hosts continued to pile on pressure with Lallianzuala going close as he struck the left post minutes later.

Thereafter, Pune FC came out of their shell and began pushing forward. Some tireless runs by Sanchayan Samadder, Altamash Sayed, Farukh and Arif saw the tempo of the game gradually shift in Pune FC’s favour.

The continuous pressure finally paid off as Pune FC equalised in the 37th minute. Medio Sanchayan picked up a ball from wing-back Dimple Bhagat on the left and ran past the Shivajians’ midfield and crossed the ball in to an unmarked Arif, who instinctively headed it past the custodian.

The first half ended with both sides level at one-goal-a-piece.

The second half was a different story as Pune FC began dominating proceedings right from the word go and almost scored in the opening minute of the second half through Farukh but the hosts held on.

Thereafter the game went on a predictable manner. Pune FC continued to attack while Shivajians defended deep. While Pune FC played quick passes in the midfield, DSK were forced to play long balls to their strikers up front.

Pune FC controlled possession for long durations before finally taking the lead in the 78th minute. Having earned a freekick after a foul on Sanchayan, Dimple’ long swirling ball on the set-piece looked all set to go in into the left corner had it not been for a powerful save by the outstretched hands of the host’s custodian. The rebound however landed in front of Farukh who made no mistake in slipping it into the goal.

Into the final ten minutes, Pune FC sealed the victory with a well worked move. A flurry of passes exchanged between Farukh and Arif saw them run through the home side’s defence. Farukh instinctively passed the ball to Arif who shot it back to Sanchayan and ran forward. Sensing an opportunity, he passed it back to Arif who drilled it low past the Shivajians’ keeper for Pune FC’s third.

A minute from the final whistle, the hosts had a great chance to pull one back, but a free kick just outside the Pune FC box was cleared off the line by a diving Sukhdev Patil.

The hosts had another chance into injury time, but Pune FC held on for a well-deserved win.