Pune go top after draw with Kerala
KOCHI: Mark Sifneos cancelled out Marcelinho’s goal to give Kerala Blasters FC a vital draw (1-1) on the return of David James as head coach against FC Pune City in a Hero Indian Super League battle at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on Thursday.
Marcelinho played a neat giveand-go with Ashique Kuruniyan, opened his body and produced a neat finish in the 33rd minute to give the visitors a well-deserved lead. But Kerala’s equaliser, which came in the 73rd minute, was equally well worked. Courage Pekuson escaped his marker down the left and made the right decision to cut it back for Sifneos. The Dutchman kept it low beat goalkeeper Vishal Kaith.
The point keeps the Blasters in eighth position, but more importantly, takes Pune City to the top of the table.
The first half belonged to Pune, and suspended coach Ranko Popovic, watching from the stands, will be disappointed that his side were not a few goals ahead at the break.
The second half was not as open as the first, with Kerala’s defence tightening after what must have been a fiery half-time team talk. In fact, in the last quarter of an hour, they produced some scintillating football going forward.
Barely two minutes after it was 1-1, Pekuson made a run down the right, his dummy beat his marker and the rebound from the impending pass found Sifneos. This time though, Kaith came off his line quickly to smother.
GOA WEATHER ATK STORM TO HOLD ON
KOLKATA: Goa had trouble taking off but in the first Indian Super League (ISL) match that began in one day and ended in the next, it was ATK who hit an air pocket. One the defending champions are struggling to come out of even after seven games.
The 1-1 draw --- Robbie Keane’s fourth minute goal being neutralised in the 24th by ISL’S top scorer Ferran Corominas, who got his ninth – means ATK are on nine points, while Goa move to 13.
Had Mandar Rao Desai managed more power into a 73rd minute stab off a Corominas pass, essayed after the former Espanyol player scythed through the left of ATK’S backline, Goa could even have flown away with all three points.
GOA COACH LOBERA SEETHING
KOLKATA: A match ending at nearly 1 am was a first for both Teddy Sheringham and Sergio Lobera but while the ATK coach never lost his sangfroid, his FC Goa counterpart seemed to be seething.
“Never in my life have I seen such a situation. The ISL is a great competition and it doesn’t deserve a match like today. I think the circumstances we faced in the past two days didn’t permit us to play today,” said Lobera, speaking through an interpreter, after the 1-1 draw with ATK here.
“About the only thing I can be content today is that none of my players got injured. Because today was incredible. Never has my team warmed up in travel gear.”