Punjab FC secured its fourth win in its last six matches of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 as it beat NorthEast United FC 1-0 at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati on Thursday.
A 63rd-minute spot-kick by former Highlander Wilmar Jordan Gil ensured that the league-debutant moved to 20 points from 18 matches, placing itself ninth in the standings.
The visiting side set the tone from the beginning, with Slovenian striker Luka Majcen receiving a slick pass by Ricky Shabong and shooting it just off target from the centre of the box in the third minute of the contest.
On the other hand, Jithin M.S. and Parthib Gogoi were the standout strikers for NEUFC.
Jithin picked his teammates in promising goal-scoring positions whereas the latter missed bagging his fifth goal of the season by a slender margin after shooting from inside of the box in the 25th minute straight to Ravi Kumar.
ALSO READ | ISL 2023-24: Jamshedpur FC looks to turn tides of qualification against high-flying Mumbai City
Jithin had a chance coming his way, courtesy of Macarton Nickson in the 37th minute. But instead of charging into the box, he tested his luck from the outside and squandered the chance to the relief of a disoriented Punjab FC defence.
Gil, who had returned to his former home, earned the penalty when his cross from the right hit Tondonba Singh’s hand and the Colombian converted it with ease.
The win keeps the resurging Punjab FC firmly in the race for the top six, with the team just a point fewer than sixth-placed Bengaluru FC, having played the same number (18) of games.
Comments
SHARE