Visitors open campaign with big 4-0 win as young Golden Eagles bow out of tournament
the goan I network
MApusa
In a must-win Group C game, Dempo SC (Juniors) bowed out of competition losing to FC Pune City Development Squad 4-0 in a one-sided affair in the 1st AWES Cup 2017 played at Duler Stadium on Thursday.
The young Orange Army from Pune held the upper hand from the outset with ball possession and shots on target. The gulf of skill and class was evident all through the opening half with the home team mainly restricted to their own half.
FC Pune City had the first shy at goal towards the end of the opening quarter with Rahul Yadav missing a long ranger. On the 18th minute, his team-mate, Buanthanglun Samte scoffed a header arising from a neat cross on the left from captain Md. Ashique Kurunian. The very next minute, the Pune side did not let an opportunity go begging when SK Sajid Hossain, from the centre of the rival box, connected a volley from a cross received from Sebastian Thangmuansang to slot the ball home.
On the 25 minute, Pune City's industrious captain Md. Ashique's deft cross was squandered by Samte once again from an easy position. A couple of minutes later, Pune's Rahul Yadav on a frenetic counter with a few blue jerseys on his tail, took a rasping strike just outside the rival box with the Dempo Juniors shot-stopper Gawin Pinto up to the task.
Pune's Samte finally found his scoring range on the 35th minute from a fair distance to send the ball into the top end of the inside horizontal away from the diving Dempo custodian Gawin to make it 2-0 for the visitors. Dempo Juniors had their first real chance only in the 40th minute when their captain Boris De Melo screamed with pace and guile to the edge of the rival box but his narrow angle was cut off by the lanky opposition keeper Bilal Hussain Khan. Pune made it 3-0 in added-on time (45+1') when on a counter, the visiting team captain Md. Ashique coolly directed a cross to Gani Nigam, who tapped it into the nets.
Post resumption, Pune continued to enjoy their dominant display with the Dempo Jrs. sitting in their own half most of the time. On the 52nd minute, Pune's Sebastian's cross to Rahul Yadav taken on the volley came short of finding the mark. The very next minute, another cross from Sebastian to his captain Md. Ashique was well-headed but Dempo Jrs. keeper Gawin stood tall to effect a goal-line save.
On the 64th minute, Aaron Alvares' freekick over the wall missed the inside of the left of the horizontal by a few inches. Five minutes later, Md. Ashique scorching footer from just outside the outer box was tipped over by the Dempo Jrs. keeper. The junior orange army ended the home side's misery with a 4-0 scoreline in their favour with another goal in the 79th minute when substitute Omega Vanlalhruaitluanga, who came on a minute earlier, scored from his first touch from a cross received from fellow substitute Sachin Karnan.
Dempo SC (Jrs.) had earlier lost to FC Bardez 3-0 in their earlier engagement. Meanwhile, FC Pune City take on FC Bardez in an all-important Group C clash on September 11 with the Pune side having an edge of holding a +1 goal difference.
