David Platt's side returned to home comforts as they beat Kerala in a five-goal encounter in Pune.
FC Pune City edged past Kerala Blasters 3-2 in an entertaining round six encounter in the Indian Super League (ISL) at the Balewadi Stadium on Tuesday. A brace each for Mohammed Rafi (1', 30') and Kalu Uche (16', 23') levelled the tie at half-time before Tuncay Sanli (72') nodded home the winner in the second half.
David Platt hadn’t much time to ponder after his team capitulated against Marco Materazzi’s Chennaiyin FC, in the southern state’s capital. Out went Roger Johnson, Dharmaraj Ravanan, Manish Maithani, Jackichand Singh and Yendrick Ruiz. In came Pritam Kotal, Gurjinder Singh, David Colotto, Bikash Jairu and the goal scorer from last time around, Kalu Uche.
Platt opted to put Gurjinder Singh and Nickey Shorey on the left interchanging positions with the two, whilst Diego Colotto and Gouramangi Singh formed a central defensive partnership in a 4-3-3 formation for the Maratha Stallions. The front three of the home team were mobile and Uche in particular looked like the sole man up top with Tuncay running into gaps around him.
Peter Taylor chose for another iteration of the tried and tested 5-3-2 with Josue, Shankar Sampingiraj and Chris Dagnall all coming in to take the starting berths of Bruno Perone, Cavin Lobo and Sanchez Watt respectively. Marquee Carlos Marchena sat out this tie as Dagnall and Rafi vied at the top as two strikers.
The game got off to a dream start for the Blasters with Mohammed Rafi scoring for the Sachin Tendulkar co-owned team in the very first minute of the match. His perfectly timed run was merited with a supple Dagnall cross down the right for the Blasters, as both of Pune central guardsman went to sleep allowing the 33 year-old Kerala born striker to convert with a cleaving header.
Things nearly got worse for the Punekars’ side in the opening exchanges as the defense was all over the place failing to tackle a Rahul Bheke throw-in cleanly, allowing Coimbra to sweep up to the rebound, blasting it over the bar.
By this time, the home side had just managed to muster up the spirit to go toe-to-toe with the away side and their hitman Uche went closest with a Pritam Kotal header going just wide. Didier Zokora tried with a punt at goal, but Stephen Bywater had his positioning spot on to punch away the opportunity.
Shorey then played a major role in helping his side restore parity. The left back’s cross was met by Uche who converted it into the far post as Marcus Williams and Peter Ramage watched on in the 16th minute.
In the 23rd minute, Pune were back in the lead. A superb run by Shorey saw him waltz past Mehtab Hossain and Bheke, on the Blasters’ right. His low cross was met by the perfectly placed Uche, who made no mistake in directing his low drive into the far post past a hapless Ramage.
The midfield for both these teams were sloppy but Kerala were chasing the game and managed to find a series of corners.
The Blasters didn't have to wait for more time for their goal. A superb run by Josue down the left found Rafi who rose up higher than Gouramangi Singh and headed his chance onto the post. The ball came off the uptight and swiveled into goal much to the chagrin of the Pune bench and the delight of the Blasters. This was in the 30th minute.
The home team nearly had a gaffe to remember for ages as Shorey’s weak back pass to Simonsen was nearly intercepted by Dagnall. The goalkeeper rushed his clearance and it went straight to Rafi. The ball had sufficient pace on it and therefore Rafi headed it first time and much to his own dismay, it went wide.
The second half got underway with Pune City replacing an underperforming Colotto with Johnson at centre-back.
Shorey was having a great game and his in-swinging free-kick, this time from the left hand side was met with the head of goal scorer Uche again, but this time the Nigerian planted his header straight at Bywater.
From the catch, the British custodian released fellow Brit Dagnall who raced into the opposition third. Faced by a closing wedge of space, the former Leyton Orient man opted to shoot from 25 yards. His low shot was nudged wide of target by Simonsen, but the referee refused to acknowledge a corner and subsequently awarded a goal-kick.
Kerala had learnt to counter with pace after their emergence from the interval and were breaking with ease.
Joao Coimbra was set free in the helm of attack by a clearance and he did well to hold off the advancements of the covering defender in the box. His low cross fell kindly for Josue. The Spaniard though failed to do justice to the space around him and skirted the chance wide.
However, the Blasters’ game plan would soon crumble, yet again. The ball arrived to Shorey on the left, whose run took him to the edge of the Kerala defensive third. The ball was then won in the air by an unmarked Tuncay Sanli who placed his header, after a sprightly jump, into the top corner of the net in the 72nd minute.
Last season’s beaten ISL finalists threw on Antonio German and Sanchez Watt in a last resort measure. Platt too, rolled he dice, brining on Yendrick Ruiz in place of Tuncay Sanli.
A pile-driver by Lobo after being laid on by German, saw Simonsen dive to his right and collect safely which was the last notable chance for the visitors.
The Maratha Citizens saw themselves rise to the top of the table, as coach Peter Taylor stood akimbo, unable to decipher where exactly his tactics fell foul. The Punekars now travel to Goa to face Zico’s team later this week. Kerala blasters meanwhile play Chennaiyin FC this weekend and remained rooted to the eighth spot in the table
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ISL: Pune City beat Kerala Blasters 3-2, move to top of table
Former Turkish international Tuncay Sanli continued his good form as his powerful header in the 72nd minute enabled FC Pune City register a thrilling 3-2 victory over Kerala Blasters in an Indian Super League football tournament, here on Tuesday.
Pune: Former Turkish international Tuncay Sanli continued his good form as his powerful header in the 72nd minute enabled FC Pune City register a thrilling 3-2 victory over Kerala Blasters in an Indian Super League football tournament, here on Tuesday.
For the winners, the other two goals were scored by Nigerian striker Kalu Uche in the 16th and 23rd minute while Mohammed Rafi struck for the losing side in the 1st and 30th minute.
The win took David Platt coached Pune City past Chennaiyin FC as they are now on top of the eight-team league table with 12 points from six games with their fourth win.
The Sachin Tendulkar co-owned Blasters are languishing at the bottom of the table with four points from six games having lost their fouurth match.
It was perhaps the most entertaining match in the tournament, where the standard of football has not exactly been great.
The fortunes swung like a pendulum from the very first minute when Kerala striker Rafi scored his 3rd goal of the season just after kick off in the very first minute.
With Chris Dagnell essaying a neat cross from the wide right, Rafi positioned himself to perfection as he got the visitors lead in the opening minute of the match.
However in the 16th minute, it was Pune, who got the equaliser as their left winger Nicky Shorey had a dream match and was the architect in all three assists that got them the goals.
Shorey floated one from the left with Uche heading home as former India stopper Gourmangi Singh not in his position.
Within seven minutes, Pune made it 2-1 courtesy Shorey-Uche combine. It was Shorey, who weaved past a couple of Blasters men before unleashing a perfect assist which the Nigerian tapped home from close range.
But Pune's joy was shortlived as Rafi got his fourth goal of the tournament, when Rafi headed him at stroke of half an hour as his nod first hit the right post and then trickled down towards left before entering.
The teams went into the break with scoreline reading 2-2.
The winner by Tuncay, came in the 72nd minute when Shorey again went down wide left to essay a cross which saw the former Fenerbahce and Middlesbrough striker outjump his marker to perfectly nod home.
Matchday 7
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Matchday 6
TOP SCORERS
| Player | Goals | Apps |
 S. MENDOZAStrikerChennaiyin FC | 6 | 6 |
 K. UCHEStrikerPune City | 4 | 4 |
 M. RAFIStrikerKerala Blasters | 4 | 3 |
 T. ŞANLIStrikerPune City | 3 | 6 |
 N. VÉLEZStrikerNorthEast United | 3 | 5 |
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