WIFA - The Western India Football Association

Pune FC began their I-League U-20 campaign in grand style with a 5-1 thrashing of HAL Banglore. The match kicked off at 3 pm with Coach Ranjan Choudhary pumping up his boys in the sweltering humidity of Navi Mumbai.

The entire senior management of the club including Chirag Tanna, Nandan Piramal and other officials were present to support their boys.

However HAL were the ones to open the scoring in the 7^th minute through a close range tap in by jersey No.10 Sanju Kumar. The goal resulted in an aggressive retaliation from Pune FC as they started dominating possession over the next twenty minutes. V Karthik of HAL received a yellow card in the 15^th minute for his dangerous challenge on no.11 Nikhil Kadam of Pune FC.

Pune FC’s effort bore fruit when jersey no. 12 Thongkosiem Haokip scored a hat -trick. The first goal came in the 26^th minute with 30 yard thunderbolt. That resulted in HAL making its first substitution in the 35^th minute with Vijay Prabhankar coming in for R. Mohan

M Sujie Kumar sent in a cross from the right flank in the 38^th minute for Thongkosiem to head in his second for Pune FC. He completed his hat trick late into the first half in the 46^th minute with another header.

The second half started with a cautious approach from HAL. Pune FC got a penalty courtesy HAL’s V Karthik’s late challenge on Pune FC’s R.Shivram in the 59^th minute. F Lalrempuia converted the penalty cleanly in his second attempt as the first one was disallowed for infringement. The red lizards followed it up with their fifth goal in the 71^st minute. Some good work on the left flank by Substitue David Lalbiakzara resulted in a save from the HAL goalkeeper only for the Pune FC no.19 Thangjam Abung Meetie to tap it in.

No.26 Deepak Kumar hit the post from close range into added time. Pune FC faces Air India in their next game on April 23^rd in the big Maharashtra derby.

Final Score –  Pune FC 5 – 1 HAL