The hosts, led by Mateus Costa, headed into this relegation survival test making just a solitary change from their loss to Mohun Bagan.
The Flaming Oranje drew first blood as Jhingan launched a long ball to the attack, which was capitalized on by Odafa. The Nigerian twisted and turned earning some space in the box before shooting straight at an onrushing Amrinder Singh, who blocked the ball just in time, as defenders dived all around him.
It was a premonition of the onslaught his goal would face however, as both teams looked to settle down early.
In the 26th minute, the game took a seismic turn. Attacker Alber Gonsalves received a ball on the left by Odafa and tricked Srikanth Ramu, who could only foul the youngster inside the box, giving away a penalty. He was booked in the process and offered no complaints, as Sporting Goa's striker Odafa stepped up and converted to send the Goan faithful in raptures as the home team could taste survival. Although Amrinder Singh got a glove onto the ball, he could scarcely stop the well placed shot. Odafa, then had a tame shot from the edge of the box which went straight to Amrinder, as Sporting continued to attack.
Things would get better for the hosts though, immediately. Brandon Fernandes sent in a great ball into the box, which missed everyone at the near post. However, Jhingan at the centre chested the ball and looped it onto the left hand post of Amrinder. The ball deflected in off the post and into goal, doubling the lead for the Goans, as scenes of jubilation burst out for the home team.
Then, hardly 40 seconds later, Odafa had the Red Lizards' hearts in their mouths. A brilliant run by the Nigerian saw a quick one-two exchanged with Al Amna on the left, as he shifted into the box, leaving the Pune defenders behind. He beat the keeper with a superb shot with his right foot, but it hit the post and rebound along the line, for Pune FC to gather their thoughts and clear.
Al Amna was at the centre of another attack as he backheeled a brilliant ball sent to him by Brandon, to Odafa. Sadly, the ball was miscued and a chance was wasted as the first half concluded.
The second half saw Pune FC with the first chance of the half. Nikhil Kadam a second half substitute, slipped into an intuitive run, which saw him slip a ball into the Japanese campaigner Sueoka, who made keeper Ravi save to his left, and earn a corner.
Al Amna and Odafa then combined well to send the Syrian into the box, yet, Amna's reverse to Brandon, on the edge, wasn't good enough. Pune FC then had a barrage of crosses turned away by the Sporting defense before the hosts nailed the killer blow to the tie.
Odafa was at the double as the Nigerian was handed the ball on a platter by Al Amna. He easily outmuscled the flogging Salaam Ranjan Singh and headed into the box, all clear. Veering past a diving Amrinder Singh and coolly slotted home from the right as he ensured Sporting trotted into the distance and to I-League safety.
A moment of controvery then erupted over the pitch as the game seemd to be going to a dull end. Odafa looped the ball over the Brazilian Sobrosa in the 81st minute, on the edge of the box and chased after it. Seeing danger Sobrosa slapped the ball away with his hand, leading the referee to award a freekick on the edge of the box. No cards we given though as Sobrosa could've easily been sent off. Brandon Fernandes took the free-kick from the edge of the box, which was punched away by Amrinder.
The tie seemed come alive at the end of the second half as first Mauvin Borges ran through on goal, on the left side smacking a goal towards the far post. However, an alert Amrinder thwarted the chance after getting down well and saving. At the other end, Fanai Lalrempuia, another second half substitute for Pune FC, saw his shot graze the post as it went out for a goal-kick.
To add misery to Pune's day they then immediately conceded a fourth. The Goan's hitman, Odafa, recevied an excellent over the top ball in the Pune FC box. He unshackled himself from the defender, Salaam Singh, twisting and turned in the box, avoiding the keeper's stagnant gaze, before taking a powerful shot into the roof off the net, past two covering defenders and the keeper himself, Amrinder.
Odafa's hattrick was a cherry on top of the cake for the Nigerian icon, whose contribtions stirred the Goans to safety as the referee blew for the end of the game. The win saw Sporting launch themselves to 24 points, five clear of the relegated Dempo SC, who dropped out of the I-League on the basis of a loss to Salgaocar. It didn't matter to Costa though, who was full of joy as the Flaming Oranje assured themselves of burning on in the top flight for another year.
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