FC Pune City's Jermaine Pennant during the post-match press conference.Coming into this game on the back of a 2-0 win over Mumbai City which had put them in the driver’s seat in the battle to qualify in the top four, Pune City were no doubt high on confidence as they prepared to face Delhi Dynamos, direct rivals for a semifinals spot. It showed in the team’s play, as Pune City’s attack looked threatening throughout and came close to scoring on numerous occasions. However, they fell to a late goal, with Delhi’s star Brazilian Gustavo dos Santos scoring a brilliant solo effort in the 88th minute.Jermaine Pennant was one of the players who came close to scoring for Pune, with a first-half shot which was turned onto the post by Delhi keeper Kristof Van Hout. Addressing the post-match press conference, the English winger said the result came down to a simple equation of one team converting chances, and the other, not. “They took chances. We didn’t,” stated Pennant.“We did everything we could to win the game,” he went on to add. “Credit to us, though. We went out there and gave it our all.” Pennant also revealed that they had received encouraging words along the same lines from head coach Franco Colomba, who was forced to watch the game from the stands after being sent off during Pune City’s previous game. “The coach was happy with the way we played.”The 31-year-old denied that Colomba’s absence from the touchlines had an effect on his team, saying that the Italian gaffer had told the team all they needed to hear during their preparation for this game. “No. We had a meeting; he said what he would have said in the dugout. So it didn’t affect us.”Pune City had momentum coming into this game given their win over Mumbai City in their previous outing, which made the loss to Delhi harder to swallow. “It’s deflating, losing after a good result.”They now face Kerala Blasters on December 9, with the fate of their top-four hopes now out of their hands. They may even be knocked out before that game kicks off, depending on results elsewhere in the league (a Delhi win over Chennaiyin earlier that day, and an Atlético de Kolkata win over Mumbai City on December 7, would knock out both Pune City and Kerala).Setting qualification scenarios aside, Pennant acknowledged the game itself would be a tough task for his team. “It’s tough, playing away. They’re going for the last four, too. It’s going to be difficult. But, if we play like today, creating chances, we’ll win.”
