Reds come away from Pune with 1 point
Pune: A late goal in the dying minutes by Mirjan Pavlovic saved the day for the Red Lizards as Pune FC managed to hold Shillong Lajong FC to a 2-2 draw in the Round 20 match of the I-League here on Saturday.
The result saw the hosts stay in second place with 30 points while the visitors had to be content to remain in fifth spot.
The hosts took an early lead when Gabriel Fernandes struck in the 14th minute.
Striker Riga Mustapha passed to Pavlovic inside the box, but the latter’s shot was blocked by Lajong goalkeeper Lalthuammawia Ralte. Fernandes received possession of the ball, however, and he made no mistake as his shot landed straight into the back of the net.
The joy in taking the lead did not last long for the Lizards, as the visitors equalised in the 26th minute through Uilliams Souza Silva.
The Brazilian’s free kick landed straight into the Pune net as goalie Amrinder Singh and the defenders failed to clear the ball.
A large number of Shillong fans had come out for the contest and were thrilled with Uilliams’ strike.
The passionate following gave the visiting Reds much needed support and the Lajong Faithful had come equipped with a large banner and flags in support of their club.
The first half witnessed a close battle as both teams enjoyed equal possession of the ball. At the end of the first session the scores read 1-1 with both teams eagerly fighting it out.
On switching ends the game went into an aggressive mode as both teams upped their efforts.
In the 55th minute Lajong earned a free kick when Taisuke Matsugae went down. Pune FC’s Srikanth Ramu was aggrieved and began protesting vehemently, which earned him a yellow card.
Douhou Pierre then fired the ball over the bar a minute later, costing his team a goal-scoring opportunity.
SLFC then took the lead in the 70th minute with a second Uilliams’ strike, making it 2-1 for the Reds.
His Saturday brace means that the Brazilian striker is now the second highest scorer for Lajong this season with six goals to his name, just one behind Cornell Glen and one ahead of Boithang Haokip.
Down a goal, the equaliser was Pune’s top priority. However, the match continued on but just when the Shillong club must have been hoping to see out the match with three points, Pavlovic spoiled the party in the 90th minute thanks to a header.
Despite losing out on a victory, Lajong should be happy enough to come away with a point against tough opponents.
They will next play away at East Bengal on March 14.
In the other fixtures on Saturday, Mohammedan Sporting and Mohun Bagan played out a goalless draw in Kolkata, while Bengaluru FC thrashed Churchill Brothers 3-0 at home.
Dempo SC beat fellow Goan outfit Sporting Clube de Goa 4-0, with all four goals coming in the first half.
Bengaluru continue to lead the standings with 34 points, with Sporting third. Dempo moved up to sixth, tied with SLFC on points, but behind on head-to-head. (Agencies)