Punjab FC, Sudeva Delhi play out goalless draw

Hero I-League

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 30

RoundGlass Punjab FC shared the spoils with Sudeva Delhi FC after the two teams played out a goalless draw in the Hero I-League in Kolkata on Friday.

This is the second goalless draw for Punjab FC after the stalemate against Mohammedan SC in its previous clash. With points shared, both teams find themselves in the midst of a mid-table fight, having earned five points from as many games.

In the first 15 minutes, the match saw end-to-end action, either team could have gone ahead, but complacency in front of the goal meant they could not take the lead. In the 3rd minute, a wicked deflection fell to Kean Lewis on the left flank. The midfielder knocked the ball ahead and tried to shoot from distance, but Saurabh Bhanwala got in the way to defuse the shot. Later, a quick one-two near the edge of the box put Joseba Beitia through on goal. The Spanish midfielder wanted to find the net from a tight angle but before he could release the shot, a well-timed tackle robbed him of the chance as the ball went out for a corner.

In the 10th minute, Suranjit Singh went for the spectacular and almost found the net from distance, as his shot curled wide of the goal. Shortly after, Punjab custodian almost gifted a goal when he lost possession inside the box, but made amends after latching on to a Kean Lewis cross from Shaiborlang Kharpan in the box.

After the lemon break, the charged up Sudeva Delhi FC looked bright and in the 53rd minute, forward Kharpan tested Limbu with a well-placed shot from outside the box, but that went inches over the bar. Three minutes later, Aphaoba Singh was found on the right flank by a through ball from Beitia. Singh, instead of crossing it in, went for a shot from a tight angle and forced Limbu to make a crucial save. Punjab’s Chencho tried to breach the Sudeva citadel in the 69th minute, but the Bhutanese forward released a curling effort from a tight angle that flashed in front of the goal before going back into play.