Pune FC look for points
Pune FC once again sets out with an aim fixed on gaining points when they lock-horns with Mumbai-based Air-India in an I-League Round-7 home game.

Having run into situation wherein logging points have deserted the team owing to key players recovering from injuries and confidence taking a hit, the game at the Balewadi Sports Complex overall expects to be a close affair.

The game has enough reason to be interesting and it begins with the visitors going into the game with a four-match unbeaten run, which the hosts hope to upset after going through three setback losses.

Moreover, for the hosts the game assumes importance particularly because they have remained static on tenth-place in the league with five points, something that they do want to change. Air-India (10 points) are in seventh position.

As Pune FC coach Derrick Pereira put it, “I guess it’s a matter of that one win that we score. For the sooner we do so, I am sure everything will be back on track. It’s just that the win has is taking a while.”

The host’s go into the game with a side that has three changes from the team that played the last game against Dempo SC in the 18-member side announced for the late Thursday evening encounter.

With left-wing back Gurjinder Kumar available after serving one-match suspension Kamaljeet Kumar sits out, while in the midfield left wing-half Paresh Shivalkar makes way for central midfielder Asim Hassan, who makes the side for the first time after a long injury lay off.

But the bigger surprise is the inclusion of goalkeeper Abhra Mondal, who joined the hosts ranks on-loan from East Bengal for the rest of the season. Abhra arrived on Thursday after Pune FC felt it necessary to reinforce the position since both first choice Subrata Paul and second-choice Shahinlal Meloly are recovering from injury.

Abhra’s inclusion also strengthens the position, which otherwise was managed by youngster Amrinder Singh, who has fared to his potential so far.

Pune FC is yet to decide if they will field Abhra for the game against Air-India, though Gurjinder makes a sure choice.

The two teams in the past had an equal share of success against each other and are dead-even with three wins each from eight meetings so far. Two encounters have ended in draws.

Going into this encounter, Pune FC have the distinction of beating their Mumbai rivals twice this season. The first was in Pune during the pre-season Peninsula Pune Cup and then in New Delhi during the Durand Cup.