Pune: Pune FC were held to a goal-less draw by a 10-man Sporting Clube de Goa in an I-League Round 17 encounter at the Shivchhatrapati Sports Complex at Balewadi here on Sunday. The visitors were reduced to 10 men in first-half injury time after midfielder Rovan Pereira was sent off for a second bookable offense. Sporting played their heart out to salvage a point from the game.
With a point from the game, Pune FC stay fourth in the table with 30 points from 15 games while Sporting Goa remain at 12th with 14 points. Pune FC could have taken the lead early in the match but for James Moga wasting a golden chance. Sporting goalkeeper Bruno Colaco failed to read a routine long ball into his box, allowing Moga to nip in. The South Sudanese striker rounded off the keeper but somehow missed an open goal.
Gurjinder Kumar then had the best opportunity of the half but he failed to put the ball home, virtually from a yard out, after a Douhou Pierre's freekick fell kindly in his path. The half ended with Sporting reduced to 10 men after Rovan brought down Karma Tsewang and was shown his second yellow.
Moga yet again failed to trouble the keeper, after he was found by yet another delightful cross by substitute Khangthang Paite, making it a hat-trick of heading opportunities spurned by the team in quick succession. Pune FC had another go at the Sporting goal but this time Bruno did a brilliant job, deflecting away an Arata strike, after the midfielder was set-up by Douhou with a clever ball.
Moga's torrid evening continued, when he failed to connect properly with a cross by Douhou, after a promising exchange between the midfielder and Subash Singh. The ball could have still gone over the line, as keeper Bruno slipped at a vital moment. However, Keita Boubacar was present on the line to clear the danger.
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