AGENCIES
PUNE: Pune FC rallied to beat Mohun Bagan 2-1 in a crucial I-League match at Balewadi Complex, here, Tuesday.
The victory takes Pune to 22 points from 13 matches while Bagan stay two points ahead from the same number of matches.
The match was a perfect example of 11 playing as a unit versus a team depending on a single individual. Bagan paid the price for their over-dependence on Odafa Okolie and a weak defence. All balls were addressed to Odafa thus making Pune’s job easier.
To make matters worse for Bagan, N P Pradeep, playing as the right back and stopper Anwar Ali found it hard to gauge and intercept the wave of Pune attacks. The yawning gaps in the Bagan defence made all wonder as to how a star-studded and high-spending team’s players could afford to be so slow and lackluster.
It was Bagan who began on an aggressive note. Odafa put Bagan in the lead in the 22nd minute. Receiving a pass just outside the Pune box, the goal-machine thundered a grounder which beat diving rival goalkeeper Abhra Mondal. The minimal space in which Odafa executed it, spoke of his class.
But Pune regrouped fast. They slowly took possession of the midfield and spotted out a slow N P Pradeep and Anwar Ali as the weak links in the Bagan defence. And it paid dividends when substitute striker Jeje Lalpekhlua equalised for Pune with his first touch of the ball in the 36th minute. Pune left-half, the livewire Lester Fernandes made a mockery of Pradeep on the left flank and Jeje sneaked in between an out-of-position Anwar Ali and Syed Rahim Nabi to head it in.
Changing over, Lester Fernandes headed in the match-winner in the 56th minute. Mandjou Keita broke down the right flank and centered for an unmarked Lester to head it in. The defence just watched.
Minutes later, Bagan were lucky when Karma Tsewang failed to put it in with only goalkeeper Sangram Mukherjee to beat. Again, the defence stayed non-existent.
Bagan’s sole chance in the second half was when
