U19 I-League: Pune FC look for consecutive away wins; take on DSK Shivajians

Pune FC will be out to set the record straight when they face DSK Shivajians FC in an Under-19 I-League Round-6 encounter at the DSK Football Field in Loni on Tuesday.

Having lost their only game against leaders DSK Shivajians (15 pts) in the zonal round, second placed Pune FC (10 pts) will be keen to make amends and also log their second away win on the trot.

Going into this massive game, Pune FC are confident after a big 6-1 win over Mumbai FC last week. However, Coach Naushad Moosa wants the team to focus on the task at hand and get a positive result.

Speaking ahead of the big game, Coach Moosa said, “We want to be focused and don't want to get complement after a big win against Mumbai FC. In the first leg against Shivajians at home, we conceded two poor goals which cost us the game, so we want to be more cautious this time around.”

Meanwhile, opponents Shivajians come into the clash on the back of five consecutive wins and will be a tough nut to crack. However, Coach Moosa is optimistic ahead of the clash and expects the players to put on a good show.

“We definitely want to win against Shivajians, but we need to stay patient and be careful as we will playing on an artificial turf which they are more used to. I expect the lads to be more disciplined and play according to our gameplan,” added Moosa.

A win in the local derby will not only help Pune FC close the gap at the top, but will pull them away from the chasing pack and take them one step closer to qualification.

On the team news front, Pune FC will be missing services of winger Chesterpaul Lyngdoh. The diminutive attacker suffered a nasty facial injury in the previous game and will be out for a few weeks. The rest of the team is fully fit and will be available for selection.

The game kicks off at 5.00 PM IST on Tuesday.

First Leg: 19/12/2014 – Pune FC 1-3 DSK Shivajians FC at Pune FC Training Pitches, Mamurdi