Pune: Pune FC continued their unbeaten run in the I-League as they registered a 1-0 win over Rangdajied United FC in a seventh round encounter here on Sunday.
Defender Calum Angus’ (30th minute) calm finish at the half-hour mark handed Pune FC a third consecutive win at home.
With this win, Pune FC go joint top of the table with 13 points from five games.
The hosts are equal on points with Salgaocar FC and Bengaluru FC and are second behind the Goans on goal difference, having played a game less.
Bengaluru lost 0-2 at East Bengal on Saturday ending their wonderful start to the season; the loss at EB was their first of the season.
After soaking pressure in the early exchanges, Pune FC created the first close chance of the game in the 18th minute.
Playmaker Douhou Pierre’s cross in from the right fell for Othallo Tabia on the left inside the box only for the defender to shoot into the side-netting with acres of space.
The hosts finally took the lead at the half hour mark through Calum.
After earning a corner on the right, winger Nikhil Kadam played it quickly to Douhou.
The Ivorian then laid off for Calum outside the box in the centre and his powerful low drive beat Rangdajied goalkeeper Shambhu Mistry for his second goal in as many matches.
Six minutes later, the hosts survived a close moment. Striker Edmar Fugueira missed a sitter as he kicked Thomas Saikhom’s freekick from the right over the bar from three-yards out.
The hosts went close once again in the closing minutes of the first half.
Douhou chipped in a ball for Arata Izumi on the right and the India international sent in a low ball into the box for striker Thongkhosiem Haokip, who failed to connect in front of the goal.
At the other end, Edmar set on a counter and held off a couple of defenders, but only found the side-netting with a shot from inside the box on the left.
The hosts took their one goal advantage into the break.
The second half was more of the same as Pune FC kept on pressing the Rangdajied defence, restricting the visitors to occasional counterattacks.
Seven minutes after the restart, Douhou chipped in again for Arata on the run only to be denied by the keeper, who rushed out to make a block.
The game had turned physical and both sides were feeling the effects of it.
After a long midfield battle, the visitors went close into the final 10 minutes.
Edmar held off defender Gurjinder Kumar on the right before sending in a pin-point cross for substitute Sandesh Gadkari – on for Lalnunpuia – inside the box.
Pune FC custodian Amrinder Singh sensed the danger and punched out the ball just in time.
The hosts held on to their lead in the final minutes to seal their fourth win of the season.
Mohammedan shock Sporting Clube
Meanwhile, in Goa, osimar’s brace helped Mohammedan Sporting score a 3-1 win over Sporting Clube de Goa at Duler Stadium, Mapusa.
Mohammedan, who led 1-0 at half time, scored through Josimar (32nd minute, 89th) and substitute Ajay Singh (71st).
While Sporting Clube de Goa, who were reduced to 10 men in the dying minutes when Boima Karpeh was sent off for pushing Israil Gurung, pulled one back through Karpeh in the 58th minute before his sending-off.
The win takes I-League debutants Mohammedan to eighth place with seven points from six matches.
Sporting Clube are in fourth place with 10 points from six games.
Salgaocar down United SC
In the other match of the day, Salgaocar moved to the top of the points standings after beating United SC 2-0 in Kolkata.
After losing to Mohun Bagan in their last match, the Goans bounced back to down United, who have a strong team despite the club’s financial problems.
Augustin Fernandes opened the scoring in the third minute of the match and no further goals were scored until the tail-end of the match when Milagres Gonsalves doubled the lead in the 86th minute.
The hosts were unable to respond, leaving them with nine points from seven matches. (PTI)