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FC Pune City faced off against Northeast United at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex Stadium in Balewadi, Pune, and earned a resounding 5-0 win against the struggling Highlanders.
The Punekars began the game at the fifth position in the ISL standings while their opponents, the Highlanders, were placed ninth with just 4 points from their 6 games having won just one of their fixtures.
FC Pune City ended the year on a positive note as they humiliated the Highlanders with a thumping 5-0 scoreline. Ashique Kuruniyan scored his first goal for the home side and skipper Marcelinho grabbed a hat-trick at the end. Adil Khan scored the fifth goal for the home side further adding to Northeast United's misery. FC Pune City rose to the second spot in the ISL standings as they have garnered a tally of 15 points from 8 matches played so far.
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Pune take early lead through Ashique Kuruniyan
FC Pune City began the game on a positive note with good passing and trying to find spaces behind the Northeast United defense. Jonathan Lucca, who made his return to the side in place of Diego Alves, was the major cog in the Pune midfield.
The home side was rewarded early in the match when they scored in the 7th minute as youngster Ashique Kuruniyan gave them the lead. Lucca was the creator of the goal as he found Emiliano Alfaro inside the box. Lucca cut inside from the left wing and squared it for Alfaro, who took a shot but the effort deflected to Kuruniyan who slotted his effort past TP Rehenesh in the Northeast United goal.
The young Ashique Kuruniyan was a constant source of trouble for the Northeast United defense and managed to score his first ISL goal for FC Pune City.
NEUFC came back strong after early setback but Pune strike again
NorthEast United, after being down early in the game recovered quickly and posed a threat to the Pune goal. They pressed ahead and created a couple of chances and even came as close as hitting the post.
Marcinho got on the end of a well-taken cross and rose the highest to head it but his effort deflected off the post. Danilo and Rowllin Borges also tested Vishal Kaith between the sticks for FC Pune City but the young Indian keeper was up to the task and kept them out.
Their joy was, however, shortlived as Pune managed to score their second in the 27th minute. Marcelinho was brought down and the Pune skipper stepped up to take the free-kick. He scored with a superb curling free-kick as he beat the diving TP Rehenesh to his right side as the ball bulged into the net.
After the goal, FC Pune City took control of the game and dominated proceedings on the pitch.
Marcelinho scores his second as FC Pune City assert their dominance
After a mini-revival from NorthEast United, Pune slowly took control of the game and started to dominate proceedings on the pitch.The midfield orchestrated by Jonatan Lucca kept the away side on their toes.
Marcelinho scored his second as TP Rehenesh in the Highlanders' goal as a blunder from the keeper allowed Pune to take a three-goal lead going into the halftime. Lucca was again at the forefront as he grabbed an assist to his credit creating the goal for the Brazilian Marcelinho.
The halftime came to an end as FC Pune City went into the break with a comfortable 3-0 lead as Ranko Popovic looked on happily from the stands.
NorthEast United played positive but failed to convert their chances
NorthEast United, despite being three goals down, played in good spirits and kept pressing the Pune defence in hopes of mounting a comeback.
They created a lot of chances with their passing in the centre of the pitch and even some long-rangers, but they lacked the clinical touch in the final third. Danilo, Marcinho, and Diaz were involved in a lot of opportunities for the Highlanders but did not threaten Vishal Kaith in the FC Pune City goal.
Kaith stood tall between the sticks as he made a couple of crucial saves keeping the NorthEast attacks at bay. FC Pune City were well organized and maintained their shape and stood back to keep the wasteful NorthEast players in check.The defenders from FC Pune City deserve plaudits for their stability even though the major focus was on the attackers tonight.
FC Pune City apply the killer blow at the end
FC Pune City finished off the game in the dying minutes of regulation time as they scored two goals in the space of two minutes. The score was 5-0 in favour of the home side as they cemented their superiority on the field with a dominating scoreline.
Marcelinho was put through on the left with a through-ball as he finished past TP Rehenesh with a well-taken shot, bringing up his hat-trick on the night. Two minutes later, Adil Khan grabbed another goal to his credit as he slotted a cheeky goal adding to the Highlanders' misery after a scramble in the box.
The goal was the final killer blow to the NorthEast United as their misery continued in the league. They stay rooted in the bottom half of the standings on the ninth spot and have conceded 12 goals now.
