Kolkata: You know how football is, Panagiotis Dilmperis had said replying to whether Sunday’s match against Mohun Bagan Super Giant would be crucial in the context of their Indian Super League (ISL) campaign. Win and Punjab FC could move up to third with a match in hand.
The Punjab FC coach admitted that they could have dropped points against Mohammedan Sporting who are yet to open their account in the competition. On Sunday, the Greek saw his team fail to protect the lead twice before the hand of Tom Aldred got Mohun Bagan out of jail with a 3-2 win in stoppage time.
Aldred’s arm hit Arshdeep Singh as the Punjab FC goalie leapt to keep out Jason Cummings free-kick in 90+1. It led to the goalkeeper flapping at the shot and being booked for his protests. Mohun Bagan have 17 points, one less than leaders Mumbai City FC after eight matches for both. Punjab FC remain on 11 points from seven.
Daniel Ramirez had put Punjab FC ahead in the 12th minute and a crisp first-time volley from the enterprising Nsungusi Effiong after a quick exchange of passes involving Ricky Shabong and Osuji made it 2-1 in the 60th minute. Mohun Bagan had equalised first through Jamie Maclaren and then from a superb long-ranger from substitute Sahal Abdul Samad in the 74th. Both goals from the home team came just before the water break.
Both teams could have scored again. Leon Agustine shanking his shot off a pass from Bede Osuji and Cummings being denied by a timely tackle from Khaiminthang Lhungdim happened on either end at the Salt Lake stadium in the 86th minute. Punjab FC had begun the second half with Osuji testing Vishal Kaith and M Kipgen tested Kaith in the 79th minute. And Mehtab Singh failed to direct a free header, off a Liston Colaco corner kick, on target.
Dilmperis had said he wanted to see how Punjab FC coped with playing against the defending champions. He would have been happy with what he saw. In 12 minutes, they had tested Kaith and then beaten the Mohun Bagan and India goalkeeper. Nsungusi Effiong tried from range and there was no one to follow-up as the shot bounced off Kaith. But when Muhammed Uvais overlapped and found men and muscle in the penalty area, Punjab FC nosed ahead. By then, the visiting team had showed they were comfortable on the ball and more organised.
For the goal, Punjab FC worked the ball form the back, to Samir Zeljkovic before the Bosnian found Uvais. Effiong kept the central defenders occupied which meant that left back Subhasish Bose had players who could attack the ball on either side. Fernandes did after blindsiding the left back.
Things went from bad to worse for the home team with Alberto Rodriguez pulling up injured in the 17th minute. Head coach Sergio Lobera made a double change, sacrificing Manvir Singh and bringing on Dimitrios Petratos and Mehtab Singh. It was also an acknowledgement of what the injured central midfielder Lalengmawia Ralte brings to the line-up.
Punjab FC kept testing Mohun Bagan who found the physicality of Effiong and Osuji difficult to deal with. Zeljkovic and Shabong protected the backline with the Bosnian often adding numbers to the attack of which Ramirez was the beating heart and whose runs from then middle Mohun Bagan found difficult to track. Like they couldn’t in the 43rd when Ramirez should have kept his shot on target.
But such is the array of attacking depth available at Mohun Bagan that the slightest error can be punished. Lobera had started Robinho in the middle and that meant some clever balls behind a high line. With Manvir off, Liston Colaco, who had tested Arshdeep Singh with a long-ranger which the goalie had deflected on to the upright, moved to the right and Robinho to the left. The Brazilian found Maclaren who turned Bejoy Verghese the wrong way and it was 1-1.
Bose was lucky to have stayed on the pitch after a studs-up challenge on Muhammad Suhail and Aldred’s arm came in the way of Arshdeep doing better with Cummings’s free kick. Punjab FC weren’t overawed by Mohun Bagan’s reputation and unlucky to take nothing from this match. To the pluck that Mohun Bagan showed in coming back twice, they needed a slice of luck to return to winning ways after three matches.
