Sporting geared up for ONGC

Pune take on Dempo, Mohun Bagan face Lajong
TEAM HERALD  
sports@herald-goa.com
MAPUSA: Sporting Clube de Goa will look to extend their five-match winning streak as they take on Santosh Kashyap’s ONGC in a 22nd round I-League football match at Duler Stadium, here, on Thursday.
“After you win a few matches people will clap and give you flowers, but we must maintain our focus,” remarked Oscar who has transformed the team after he took charge.
Sporting will be missing midfielder Pratesh Shirodkar and central defender Joyner Lourenco through suspension, while Rojen Singh and Rowllin Borges could come into the team to replace them respectively, although there are a few other players who have worked hard in practice and could get the nod.
On the other hand, ONGC have pulled off a magical turn around since the start of the season and will be looking to improve on their position after holding league leaders Chuchill Bros to a 1-1 draw at home in their previous game.
The two teams played a 2-2 draw in the first leg and the teams will be eager to out fox each other this time.
“The players are prepared to take on Sporting. I was always confident that I could save relegation with this squad and now I target to finish in the top seven. I think we can achieve that,” said Kashyap.
After a series of good results, The Flaming Oranje have moved up to sixth in the table with 29 points from 21 games while ONGC are seventh with 28 points from the same number of outings. Meanwhile in Pune, Pune FC will take on Dempo SC in a 22nd round I-League football match at Balewadi Complex, on Thursday.
A win for Pune will put them in the third spot, something that the home team should have taken on Sunday, but they drew Shillong Lajong FC 2-2. Pune are on 34 points and are at the fifth spot. They are just a point behind Dempo, who currently occupy the third place. Recent results haven’t been to Dempo’s liking — they have lost the last two matches and drawn two while their last win came way back in mid-January.
The Goan team is currently suffering from co-ordination and lack of clarity among the players, something that Pune FC should make full use of when they take on the beleaguered champions.
Pune FC will also go into the match knowing that they have a better head-to-head statistics against Dempo, whom they have beaten four times in last five encounters, including one Federation Cup face-off. This season too, Pune FC drubbed Dempo 5-1 in Goa last December, a result that had catapulted Pune FC to a very strong position in the I-League table.
In Kalyani, buoyed by the confidence of a win in the previous round, relegation threatened Mohun Bagan would look to extend their run of good fortune when they meet the North-East giants Shillong Lajong FC in a 22nd round I-League football match at Kalyani Stadium, here, on Thursday.