EMN
Dimapur, January 18
Shillong Lajong FC lost their second Group C match against Mohun Bagan by 6 goals at the JN Stadium Kochi on Saturday.Mohun Bagan were the first to create the scare right away in the first minute when Katsumi Yusa provided Odafa with a brilliant pass only for his shot to be saved brilliantly by Lajong Goalkeeper Ralte. Ralte was kept busy again in the next few minutes with another attack from the Kolkata side, finding Chizoba upfront whose shot was blocked by an even better save from Ralte.
Ralte’s selection over Vinay Singh proved to be working only up until the 9th minute when Odafa scored off a scrambled ball after Yusa’s corner found no one in the box. Lajong tried to find their pace again after conceding the first goal but it was all in vain when Mohun Bagan found their second goal through Christopher Chizoba’s brilliant individual play in the 23rd minute after making some space for himself and scoring with a thunderous strike.
Lajong had some chances of their own but failed to convert all those chances. The Reds even won 10 corners in the first half but failed to score from any set piece. Mohun Bagan however caught the Lajong defence sleeping once again after Yusa’s offside trap worked in his favour when he found only the keeper to beat. Yusa took his chance and put the ball through Ralte’s legs to score Bagan’s third in the 30th minute and placed The Mariners in the driving seat. The first half ended with much to think for the Shillong Lajong players and coach Thangboi Singto.
Mohun Bagan began the second with much of the pace from the first half and created a lot of chances in front of goal as well. The closest chance came in the 59th minute when Mundampara’s shot was saved by the crossbar. Just seconds after the miss another chance came through from Yusa’s pass to Chizoba who ran through Milan Singh and saw his shot fly into the net as Ralte couldn’t keep it out. Thangboi Singto never found any tactic work out for his team as Lajong found no clear cut chances on goal and were always on the backfoot.
In the 76th minute Bagan added a fifth through Odafa who ran into the box beating Jibon Singh and a scramble sent the ball in the air to which Odafa’s acrobatic kick sent the ball into the net once again.
Lajong even though trounced were still trying to find some kind of a consolation goal but it was The Mariners who struck once again in the 92nd minute through a brilliant Ram Malik pass across goal which found the unmarked Ujjal Howladar with a tap in and scored his side’s 6th goal of the match.
Shillong Lajong will take on Mumbai FC on the 21st of January at the JN Stadium, Kochi.
