Pune FC slip up against Sporting in Goa

Pune FC were reduced to 10 men after goalkeeper Amrinder Singh was sent off for a second offence in the final quarter of the second half.

The visitors,restricted mostly to their half in the opening quarter,at times did well to work themselves ahead only to fall short. The Goans,in contrast,went close on a couple of occasions. Sporting’s striker Victorno Fernandes and defender Arturo Navarro had their moments in the first twenty minutes.

Off a Rojen Singh’s free-kick from the left,Arturo did well to connect goalward at the second post,which Amrinder kept out.

Mid-way into the half,Pune FC suffered their first set-back in the match. Defender Calum Angus was stretchered out and was replaced by youngster Salam Ranjan Singh,who made his debut.

At the other end,Pune FC went close. Playmaker Douhou Pierre did well to find Othallo Tabia on the right,who crossed in for Riga. The debutant striker,however,was denied by the Sporting goalkeeper,who won a foul instead owing to a full body contact.

Both teams went into the break goalless,but not before Pune FC survived a close call when Navarro volleyed A Cajetan cross from the left onto the horizontal.

Nine minutes after restart,the hosts took the lead off a set piece that Sporting earned,when Dhanpal Ganesh brought down Fernandes on the left. Shirodkar found Rowllin Borges on the right,who sent it wide to Navarro. The Spaniard,finding himself in the clear,passed across the goal-mouth,which Fernandes slotted home.

With keeper Singh’s second yellow forcing him to leave the field,Anas Edathodika donned the role of makeshift goalkeeper for a little over 10 minutes of regulation time.

Sporting scored their second through Shirodkar deep into injury time. The playmaker scored past make-shift keeper Anas after being set up by Borges from the right.