Shillong Lajong FC’s dream run in I-League 2023-24 continued today as they beat Churchill Brothers 2-0 at First Ground, Polo, here.
The win takes Lajong – now unbeaten after eight games – back to third place in the standings with 16 points. This was also Lajong’s fourth home win in a row. Churchill, meanwhile, have won two, drawn two and lost four matches and lie in ninth place on 8 points.
Laiwang Bohham (45′) earned the first goal towards the end of the first half before Renan Paulino de Souza (51′) converted a penalty at the start of the second.
Lajong could have been forgiven for struggling in this match as it came just three days after they played Rajasthan United FC in Hyderabad but they dominated the contest against the visiting Goan side today.
However, given the way they came out strongly, the hosts should have perhaps taken the lead much earlier in the first half. Abdou Karim Samb, one of Lajong’s three foreigners, missed an easy chance early in the game as he headed a cross from Kynsailang Khongsit straight at the veteran Churchill goalkeeper Subashish Roy Chowdhury.
Karim was later involved in the first goal, even if it did not go quite according to plan.
A cross from Pursunep on the right flank went straight to the Senegalese forward, whose swing through the ball saw him mistime his attempt but the ball ballooned off his shin and floated nicely in front of Laiwang, who gently assisted it across the line. Churchill appealed for a foul as the ball had perhaps come off Karim’s arm along the way but the referee was in a very good position to have spotted any infraction.
In the second half, Pursunep and Laiwang were involved again. Pursunep dribbled the ball into the box and fell to ground. The referee did not stop play but Laiwang was then almost immediately fouled in exactly the same spot and this time the official pointed at the penalty spot without hesitation.
De Souza stepped up to take the kick and, though Chowdhury guessed the right way, the ball was placed perfectly low into the side of the net out of the goalie’s grasp.
With 16 points, Lajong are third, tied with Sreenidi Deccan on points but with a weaker goal difference (+13 to +6). Head-to-head does not separate the two clubs as they had played a 2-2 draw last month in their only meeting so far.
The Reds will stay at home for their next encounter, a North East Derby against Aizawl FC on Sunday.
