20:59 (IST)22 NOV 2016
What a very strange game.
The game was decided by a sublime freekick from Koffi N'dri Romaric, but the highlight of the match was the bench-emptying brawl that was started off by Momo Sissoko body-slamming Nico Velez to the ground.
The game lacked in quality in the final third, and the man with the whistle was a major let-down once again. Without proper refs, these games really do tend to fall apart at the edges - but this one threatened to cave in through the middle.
It was kind of interesting bringing this match to you!
This is Anirudh Menon signing out - Thank you for reading!
Toodle-ooo!
20:55 (IST)22 NOV 2016
20:55 (IST)22 NOV 2016
95' Yusa unceremoniously bundles the ball away, Pune come back - this time Narzary smacks it right back.
20:54 (IST)22 NOV 2016
94' FINAL SUBSTITUTION - ALFARO OFF, WELLINGTON ON. That's eaten away another half-a-minute
20:53 (IST)22 NOV 2016
93' Pitu has another pop at goal! But it's straight at Bete!
20:51 (IST)22 NOV 2016
91' Sissoko wins a corner with his pure, brute strength. The corner is cleared very well by the determined mass of NorthEast defenders.
20:50 (IST)22 NOV 2016
90' FIVE MINUTES ADDED ON. Pune are still not attacking with any intensity!
20:49 (IST)22 NOV 2016
89' Pune are desperately trying to unlock the NorthEast defence here. But that's not going to get them anywhere - Ravanan sends in another cross straight to Paul
20:48 (IST)22 NOV 2016
87' SUBSTITUTION - Robert Cullen ON, Nico Velez OFF
20:46 (IST)22 NOV 2016
86' SUBSTITUTION - Anibal OFF, Traore ON.
I feel bad for Eugene.
Anibal IS MAD! HE JUST KICKED THE WATER COOLER OFF ITS STAND! I CAN SEE WHY HE' S FRUSTRATED - HE'S THEIR MAIN GOAL SCORER AND THEY ARE DESPERATE FOR A GOAL HERE. WHY TAKE HIM OFF.
20:45 (IST)22 NOV 2016
85' Romaric is seated on the floor complaining, but Pune continue playing - as well they should - but thankfully the ref blows his whistle and there is no more controversy. Phew!
20:44 (IST)22 NOV 2016
84' Ravanan swings in a ball that Subrata Paul poaches off Anibal's forehead. Great goalkeeping
20:43 (IST)22 NOV 2016
83' Velez turns Das inside out - the left back is going to have recurring nightmares - but the ball floats into Bete's arms.
20:42 (IST)22 NOV 2016
David Robert Joseph Beckham would have been proud of that. He curls the ball into Bete's far post with a swing of his left foot. Beautiful
20:41 (IST)22 NOV 2016
20:41 (IST)22 NOV 2016
80' Romaric swings in a tremendous ball that Velez controls with an equally impressive first touch. He then tries to lift it over Eduardo, but the Pune defender blocks it with his hand. Yellow for Eduardo, and a freekick from the perfect position (25 yards out and dead center)
20:39 (IST)22 NOV 2016
79' Oberman races forward and smacks a cross to his friend sitting in row Z behind the goal.
20:38 (IST)22 NOV 2016
78' WHAT A SAVE SUBRATA PAUL! Sissoko chips in a ball that Lenny chests down (unintentionally) to Titu. The Spaniard smacks a volley to Paul's near corner from some seven yards out, but that ain't beating Spiderman.
20:37 (IST)22 NOV 2016
77' Velez drifts in off the right, ghosting past Das who went to ground for some reason that only he knows, and his cross creates confusion! But Bete gathers!!
20:36 (IST)22 NOV 2016
76' Narzary sweeps in a beautiful cross into the box. Alfaro chests it down, but because this isn't a school game, he doesn't have the time to do all that. Gouramangi clears unceremoniously
20:35 (IST)22 NOV 2016
75' SUBSTITUTION - Lucca OFF (first time he's getting subbed this ISL), Pitu On. WHERE IS EUGENSON, HABAS?
20:34 (IST)22 NOV 2016
74' OH VELEZ! He finds himself in acres of space down the right but his cross can't get past the first man! Very poor from a man who has a been good, generally, tonight.
20:33 (IST)22 NOV 2016
72' Sissoko tries to intimidate Narzary into losing the ball by doing his best peacock impression. Because Hallicharan isn't a peacock, he doesn't get intimidated, or impressed and calmly strokes the ball to Romaric.
20:30 (IST)22 NOV 2016
70' Hallicharan Narzary ON for Seityasen... Meanwhile, Lenny Rodrigues - from a mile out - smacks it across goal. Paul is nowhere near it, and the ball whacks off the POST! OW! THAT WAS THE CLOSEST EITHER TEAM HAS COME!
20:29 (IST)22 NOV 2016
69' Salam then throws away all the goodwill he earned by smacking the ball back home to Manipur with a wild attempt at goal
20:27 (IST)22 NOV 2016
67' That was tired, and not a little lazy from Alfaro. He had done superbly to hold onto the ball at the corner, but then he just lazily gives it away. A superb Salam Ranjan Singh tackle stops Pune from punishing the Uruguayan for his laxity
20:26 (IST)22 NOV 2016
66' Alfaro miscues a cross, and it flies straight into Bete's welcoming arms.
20:25 (IST)22 NOV 2016
65' NorthEast are still pouring forward, though, and YUSA SMACKS IT AT GOAL! but BETE HOLDS STRONG!
20:23 (IST)22 NOV 2016
62' Vingada looks disgusted with life right now, and I am not sure I blame him. His players haven't been at their best - and the ref has been abysmal.
20:22 (IST)22 NOV 2016
61' Ghosh gets the ball on the NorthEast left, and instead of sending in a cross - or playing in Romaric - he dilly-dallies on the ball and that's that. Pune come racing forward, but NorthEast have the ball back.
20:20 (IST)22 NOV 2016
60' Alfaro and Romaric try another counter - but Sissoko is in the way. This truly is a titanic battle between the two giants in midfield, and I'm not sure either is winning at the moment.
20:19 (IST)22 NOV 2016
59' Sissoko shoots, and thankfully for security forces in the stadium, miscues it wildly. Poor shot!
20:18 (IST)22 NOV 2016
58' Oberman ghosts past Salam but his cross finds no-one in particular in the NorthEast box. Also, HOW IS SISSOKO STILL PLAYING THIS MATCH? He smacks into Yusa, and the ref barely looks at him. Give him a talking-to at least, my Kiwi friend?
20:17 (IST)22 NOV 2016
57' Zokora got booked for that hack on Oberman earlier - just keep you guys informed!
20:16 (IST)22 NOV 2016
56' Yusa swings in a corner. It's rubbish. Goal Kick.
20:16 (IST)22 NOV 2016
55' Oberman takes out Yusa, so ZOkora naturally takes out Oberman - because we all live in the Wild, Wild, West. It wasn't as bad as Oberman made it out to be, by the bye. THIS REF REALLY NEEDS TO GET A HANDLE ON THE GAME
20:14 (IST)22 NOV 2016
54' Velez is pulled up for offside and he can't believe it. For good reason, the man was ON!
20:14 (IST)22 NOV 2016
53' Alfaro comes back down the right, but Pune break and Borges gets a yellow for tugging Lenny Rodrigues back. That's a suspension now for the NorthEast enforcer (for the next match)
20:13 (IST)22 NOV 2016
52' Velez swings the resultant freekick into the near post, but Anibal heads it away
20:12 (IST)22 NOV 2016
51' YELLOW for Izumi for stopping Romaric via the novel way of holding on to the NorthEast man's shirt. *sigh*
20:11 (IST)22 NOV 2016
50' ANOTHER CONTROVERSY! Alfaro goes on a run into the box, and Gouramangi times his tackle to perfection. Ok, no controversy. My paparrazi side took over there. My apologies.
20:10 (IST)22 NOV 2016
49' Velez is UP for this. He slides in and takes the ball off the feet of Lucca (fairly) and feeds Romaric. The Ivorian juggernaut goes on one of his rampages and wins a croner for his trouble
20:08 (IST)22 NOV 2016
48' OOO This game has livened up in the right way now. Romaric tries to play in Velez, but the ball is cut off by Gouramangi.
20:07 (IST)22 NOV 2016
47' Yusa swings in the corner and Zokora smacks a volley right into Eduardo. Pune hastily, and frantically, clear
20:06 (IST)22 NOV 2016
46' Sissoko cracks into Romaric. The two apologise to each other and everyone gets on with the matter at hand. Sissoko then barges Velez into the ground and concedes a corner. Could have been a penalty, but Velez didn't complain so all's fair
20:05 (IST)22 NOV 2016
For the record Lucca, Romaric and Sisokko are the men on yellow cards
19:56 (IST)22 NOV 2016
How is Sissoko on the pitch still, though! HE LITERALLY LIFTED VELEZ AND THREW HIM TO GROUND. Truly ridiculous scenes, and truly ridiculous officiating.
19:52 (IST)22 NOV 2016
The game is at 0-0 and both the teams have 11 men each.
Something tells me neither stat is going to survive the second half!
19:51 (IST)22 NOV 2016
Be careful what you wish for, eh
19:50 (IST)22 NOV 2016
47' SECURITY IS ON THE GROUND TO SEPARATE THE TEAMS!! JESUS CHRIST!!! THEY ARE FIGHTING THEIR WAY THROUGH THE TUNNEL!! THAT WAS A PROPER BENCH CLEARING BRAWL!!
Peep! Peep! Fulltime!
NorthEast 1 - 0 Pune