ISL 4: Alfaro's brace gives Pune derby win

PUNE:

Emiliano Alfaro

was the derby day hero as he struck an injury time winner to give FC Pune City a 2-1win over

Mumbai City

FCin an Indian Super League game here at the Balewadi stadium on Wednesday.

It was the Uruguayan striker's second of the game after his penalty had cancelled out

Balwant Singh

's first half strike and the win (their second successive) kept the home team second in the

ISL

table, level on points with leaders Bengaluru FC who have a superior goal difference. Mumbai stay in sixth place.

After a scrappy opening period, the first chance fell to the visitors in the12 minute. Right-back Baljit Sahni failed to clear a relatively routine ball and it fell to Gerson who's 25-yard shot was pushed away for a corner by keeper Kamaljit Singh.

Just three minutes later, Mumbai were ahead. Gerson was at it again after he won the ball in midfield and fed it to

Sehnaj Singh

on the left flank. Sehnaj cut it back to Balwant Singh on the edge of the box and hecurled it beyond Kamaljit's reach in to the bottom corner.

It looked like it was going to be a second successive home defeat for Pune but their leveller finally came when Diego was brought down in the box and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Alfaro duly converted the penalty in the 74th minute after sending Mumbai keeper Amrinder Singh the wrong way.

The Stallions it seemed, had saved the best for last after Diego Carlos pounced on a slip by

Raju Gaikwad

in the 93rd minute and unselfishly squared it to Alfaro who sent the stadium into raptures as he tapped the ball into the net.

Bengaluru face tough test against Goa

MARGAO: After a disappointing result in Mumbai last weekend, FC Goa coach Sergio Lobera will look to bounce back to winning ways when his boys take on Bengaluru FC at Fatorda Stadium on Thursday.

But getting the better of table-toppers Bengaluru won't be an easy task. Lobera said that Bengaluru are the strongest team in the ISL at the moment. But at the same time, he maintained his team would do its best to get the desired result.