I-League - Round 12: Dempo return to winning ways, Pune FC & Mumbai FC maintain winning form

The twelfth round of the 2012/13 I-League was played on the weekend December 22/23 across the country with 13 goals scored across four matches. Once more, the match involving Mohun Bagan was deferred as were the two matches planned in Goa due to non-availability of grounds. League leaders Dempo SC returned to winning ways with a hard-earned 2-1 win away to the young Pailan Arrows at the Salt Lake Stadium with striker Joaquim Abranches being the hero for the Goans as he scored both goals, while Milan Ongnam Singh had equalised in between through a penalty. An in-form Pune FC scored their third win in a row as they beat Prayag United SC 3-1 on Saturday, moving into third with 23 points from 11 matches. Two goals from South Sudan striker James Moga and defender Othallo Tabia were enough to beat the Kolkata side, who could only reduce the deficit with a goal from C.K. Vineeth.

Meanwhile, East Bengal Club suffered their second defeat in a row, a 1-2 loss to an in-form Mumbai FC in Pune. Goals after the break from Gabriel Fernandes and Yakubu Yusif in the second session brought MFC on the right track with Chidi Edeh’s goal late in injury-time coming too late. While East Bengal are stuck on 21 points, Mumbai FC are on 19 points.

In the only other match of Round 12, ONGC, under new coach Santosh Kashyap made, a successful start (I-League: Coach Santosh Kashyap makes winning ONGC start! ) beating Shillong Lajong FC 3-0 in Delhi through goals from Eric Brown and Katsumi Yusa.

Round 12 Stats

22-Dec-2012: Salgaocar SC – Sporting Clube de Goa
- match deferred due to non-availability of stadia -

22-Dec-2012: ONGC 3-0 Shillong Lajong FC (Delhi)
Goals: 1-0 Eric Brown (19′), 2-0,3-0 Katsumi Yusa (49′,80′)

22-Dec-2012: Pailan Arrows 1-2 Dempo SC (Kolkata)
Goals: 0-1,0-2 Joaquim Abranches (9′,59′), 1-1 Milan Ongnam Singh (44′ pen)

22-Dec-2012: Pune FC 3-1 Prayag United SC (Pune)
Goals: 1-0,3-1 James Moga (8′,77′), 2-0 Othallo Tabia (17′), 2-1 C.K. Vineeth (51′)

23-Dec-2012: Churchill Brothers SC – Air India
- match deferred due to non-availability of stadia -

23-Dec-2012: Mohun Bagan AC – United Sikkim FC
- match deferred by the AIFF indefinitely -

23-Dec-2012: Mumbai FC 2-1 East Bengal Club (Mumbai)
Goals: 1-0 Gabriel Fernandes (64′), 2-0 Yakubu Yusif (90+4′), 2-1 Chidi Edeh (90+7′)