Imphal (Manipur): Philip Adjah scored a hat-trick as Neroca overcame Punjab FC 4-3 in an exciting I-League match at the Khuman Lumpak Stadium on Tuesday.
Neroca – 4 (Philip Adjah Tettey 5’ 37’ 82’, Danilo (OG) 75’)
Punjab – 3 (Dipanda Dicka 8’, 86’ (P), Girik Khosla 59’)
Adjah broke the deadlock in the fifth minute before Dipanda Dicka restored parity three minutes later.
The Ghanaian international added his second in the 37th minute to reclaim Neroca’s advantage before half-time. Substitute Girik Mahesh Khosla brought Punjab back to level terms near the hour mark.
The visitors were reduced to 10 men after Yumnam Raju was sent off for a second bookable challenge. Neroca soon raced to a 4-2 lead, courtesy of an own goal from Punjab’s Danilo and shortly afterwards, Tettey’s third of the evening, earning him the match ball for a match-winning hat-trick. Dicka converted a penalty in the 86th minute, but the hosts held on for the remainder of what was a nervy finish.
Gift Raikhan sported wholesale changes to the hosts’ line-up. Dhananjoy Singh and Rojen Meitei were called upon at the back.
Jiteshwor Singh dropped just behind Imran Khan in midfield. Khangam Horam and Singam Subash Singh started upfront.
Punjab coach Yan Law made three alterations. Yumnam Raju and Samuel Shadap were reinstated to the four-man defence. Sergio Barboza Jr. also made his return, starting out wide.
As the scoreline suggests, the match kicked off to a blistering start straight off the gates. In the fourth minute, Sergio Barboza’s menacing run was read by Himanshu Jangra, who made himself available for a pass with an overlapping run.
Jangra picked out Dipanda Dicka inside the box, who had a crack first time but was denied by the crossbar.
