Pune colts retain title
Champions Pune FC with the U-20 I-League Trophy in Jamshedpur on Sunday.
Pune FC defended their I-League Under-20 title in style, registering a 3-0 win over East Bengal in their final round match in Jamshedpur on Sunday.
Henry Monsang scored a brace while F. Lalrempuia netted once to help Pune finish their engagements with 13 points from five matches (four wins, one draw) while Tata Football Academy took the second spot with 11 points in the tournament. The TFA boys were made to work hard for their 3-2 win over Mohun Bagan in their final round match.
Pune FC dominated possession from the start but it was only in the 38th minute that they manage to surge ahead. Defender Monsang received a cross from the left flank inside the box and sent a powerful shot into the net that the rival custodian failed to even make a move.
Pune went into the break with the advantage and came out their usual aggressive self after the resumption of play. Eight minutes into the second half and Monsang strengthened Pune’s grip on the match with his second goal. His right-footed strike in the 53rd minute beat the goalkeeper to extend his team’s lead, which deflated the spirit in the East Bengal camp.
Pune, meanwhile, nailed the match with their third goal in the penultimate minute of the match when midfielder Lalrempuia converted a sharp pass.
In the other match played at the Gopal maidan, TFA fought hard to win over Mohun Bagan and claim the second spot. TFA surged ahead in the 31st minute through defender Biswajit Sardar, while Mohun Bagan equalised two minutes later through Gorachand Marandi.
The match was tied 1-1 at half time and TFA again got ahead in when Sardar struck in the 53rd minute. In-form striker K. Udanta Singh’s solo move in the 89th minute almost sealed the match for TFA but Bagan gave them some anxious moments after defender Satwinder Singh struck in injury time (90+1) to reduce the margin. TFA though played out the remaining injury time safely to clinch the match.
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