Kolkata: East Bengal continued their winning march thrashing Pune FC 3-1 in a fifth round I-League encounter at the floodlit Yuba Bharati Krirangan here on Wednesday.
East Bengal thus recorded a hat-trick of victories and are now on 10 points, with three wins, one draw and a defeat while the visitors remained on five points after two successive defeats, one draw and a win.
Nirmal Chhetri put the last year’s runners-up ahead in the 43rd minute but Pune FC brought the game on an even keel with a Lester Fernandes goal at the stroke of interval.
But East Bengal snatched the lead back when Australian forward Tolgay Ozbey struck in the 65th minute before substitue Alan Gow settled the score in an 87th minute strike.
With their inspirational playmaker Mehtab Hussain still missing from the starting line-up, East Bengal controlled the midfield proceedings as they had the better of the ball possession.
Pune FC who are without their star goalkeeper Subrata Paul (injury) received a jolt early into the start when makeshift custodian Shahinlal Meloly had to be replaced with Amrinder Singh following a clash with Baljit Singh Sahni of East Bengal.
But luck favoured Pune FC early on when referee overlooked a Chika Wali handball from an Ozbey shot inside Pune FC box.
But it did not took long for East Bengal to take the lead when Chhetri’s rightfooter took Amrinder by surprise as it went in without any fuss.
Pune FC struck back cashing in one rare defensive lapse by East Bengal when Fernandes capitalised on a Douhou Pierre pass before finding the back of the net.
Penn and Ozbey played a one-two to get better of Chika on the edge of the box leaving the Australian with a clear sight of goal. Ozbey’s strike found the far corner of the net.
Pune FC made brought in one of the oldest players in the I-League —- Shanmugam Venkatesh for Baldeep Singh and then pushed in another striker in Subash Singh in place of right wing half Karma Tsewang.
But as Pune FC pushed, it was substitute Scottish midfieler Alan Gow (for Ozbey) who settled the issue with a splendid left footer that went through the rookie PFC goalkeeper’s hands.
Pune FC had Subash go close from a run on the left but had Uga Okpara lunged his foot to keep the ball from the striker taking a shot from inside the box. (PTI)