AGENCIES, KOLKATA: Iain Hume’s hat-trick was the highlight of Atletico de Kolkata’s 4-1 victory over FC Pune City, a result that helped them become the first team to qualify for semi-finals of the Hero Indian Super League 2015 in Kolkata on Friday.
Atletico de Kolkata continue to lead the ISL table with 23 points from 13 matches and are guaranteed of a place in the semi-finals. FC Pune City are placed sixth with 15 points from 12 matches and besides winning their remaining two matches will need to count on other results to see them through.
The defending champions led 1-0 at half-time with Hume providing the lead in the 9th minute. Hume scored the next two goals for his team in 48th and 83rd minute to complete his second hat-trick of the league. The last year ISL Golden Ball winner is now the second highest goal-scorer with nine goals, just one behind Chennaiyin FC’s Colombian striker Stiven Mendoza.
Dejan Lekic scored the fourth goal for Kolkata in the final minute of play, while Adrian Mutu scored the only goal for visitors FC Pune City.
Atletico de Kolkata coach Antonio Lopez seems to have found his winning combination as he made just one change from the team that defeated FC Goa 4-0 in the previous game. In sharp contrast, David Platt made six changes at FC Pune City but nothing seemed to work.
It was Kolkata who set the pace at the start and took the lead inside the first 10 minutes. An incisive defence-splitting pass from the centre fooled Pune defenders into believing that they had caught Hume off-side but instead it was Arata Izumi who intercepted the ball and laid it on a platter for Hume to open the scoring.
Adrian Mutu was having a good game for Pune City but the Romanian striker could not score the equalizer despite some good attempts, including a free-kick which was parried away by Amrinder Singh.
In the second session, Kolkata got their second goal, three minutes after resumption of play. It was from an acrobatic attempt from Hume who was picked up inside the box with an overhead ball by Borja Fernandez.
Hume’s third goal was another fine attempt as he raced from almost nowhere to meet a cross from Sameegh Doutie and slide it into the goal.
Pune and Mutu finally tasted their first success in the 86th minute. The Romanian striker showed good skills to skip past three Kolkata defenders and then finish it off with a grounder.
There was time for one more goal, this time from Kolkata’s new striker Dejan Lekic. The Serbian international worked his way all alone on the left flank and then calmly picked up the far left corner.
