ISL 2017: Match 35, FC Pune City vs NorthEast United, Talking Points
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.
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.