AGENCIES, Ludhiana: Punjab FC came from behind on the back of a Dipanda Dicka hattrick, to earn a 3-2 victory over Neroca FC of Manipur in their Hero I-League match at the Guru Nanak Stadium, in Ludhiana, on Wednesday.
All but Dicka’s winning goal came in the first half. Punjab now have 17 points from 10 games and are three points behind league leaders Mohun Bagan, who also have a game in hand. Neroca, having a disappointing season by their standards, will remain on eighth place with eight points from nine completed games now.
Yan Law, the Punjab coach, was forced to bench Brazilian Danillo, replacing him with Nirmal Chetri. Munmun also made the cut with Yumnam Raju sitting out. Neroca took the lead in the 4th minute when Varun Thokchom’s audacious, yet delectable back-flick from the near post off a corner completely foxed the Punjab defence and keeper Kiran Limbu in goal. They struck again in the 20th minute, this time thanks to a fatal back-pass by Liberian defender Teah Dennis.
It was collected half-way by Philip Tetteh, to the horror of a frantically onrushing Limbu and promptly, deposited over the keeper into the back of the net.
Their urgency brought Neroca’s Siam Hangal a booking for a foul on the Cameroonian Hero of the Match Dicka as well as a free-kick in a dangerous position outside the box. Dicka did not let the opportunity go and curled a beauty past the wall and away from a fully stretched Marvin to bring the hosts well and truly back into the game.
Off another set-piece, Sanju Pradhan floated one into the box for Dicka to this time rise above all including ahead of the keeper, to head towards goal. It bounced off Marvin and went in, much to the delight of home fans.
Limbu’s long hoik up the field seemingly bounced harmlessly inside the Neroca half. As the ball made its way towards the box, Malian centre-back Ousmane Diawara completely misread the bounce and Dicka pounced on it before the keeper could, to tap it past him into the net.
