SHILLONG: Royal Wahingdoh FC will look to do all it can to be among points when it takes on Pune FC in a Round 13 Hero I-League match at the JN Stadium here at 4.30 PM on Sunday.
Salgaocar SC’s 3-1 win over Mumbai at Margao on Saturday pushed the Goan side to the fourth spot with 14 points while the Royals dropped to the fifth spot in the table. Considering the fall in the standings, RWFC cannot afford to go down in Sunday’s encounter.
The hosts will also look to turn the tables on the Red Lizards who somehow held on to the one-goal lead when the two teams met in Pune in their earlier in the tournament as a valiant show went in vain.
Though Pune holds on to the third spot in the standings the two teams are separated by only two points. Pune sits at 16 points while RWFC has gathered 14 points. Both the sides have played nine games each so far and would have a lot at stake when they take to the pitch on Sunday.
Coach Santosh Kashyap believes that his side will be able to use the advantage of playing in familiar turf and weather but chose to term the game as a fresh encounter wherein past results would not count much.
Despite terming every game as must win at this stage of the league, Kashyap maintained that is side was still not chasing the table and the main focus was on performing to the optimum level and winning as many games as possible.
The coach also asserted that the Royals were more confident and organised now and looked forward to a good contest on Sunday.
While Loveday will miss the game on Sunday for being booked twice in the last encounter, Seityasen Singh will be back in action for the hosts, though only in the second half, on Sunday.
Pune FC coach Karim Bencherifa on the other hand said his side would go all out for the three points in the away encounter.
Despite the missing out on the services of Darko Nika? and Ryuji Sueoka on Sunday, Bencherifa backed his boys to put up a strong performance in the tie.
Bencherifa was also all praise for Santosh Kashyap and his boys who according to him have fared very well in the I-League so far.
