JOIN USLajong force throws Air India off track
With this win, Lajong, making their maiden appearance in I-League, are in fifth place with six points from four matches, while Air India are in the seventh position with four points from three ties.
Playing in front of a packed house in their first I-League match at home, Stanley Rozario’s boys went ahead in the very first minute of the game when Nigerian Daniel Bidemi placed the ball into the net after being fed by left winger Marlanki Suting.
In the 28th minute, Seikhohau Tuboi received the ball outside the Air India box and dribbled past three defenders before scoring to give his team a 2-0 lead.
After the breather, Lajong went into defensive mode.
Air India strikers got a couple of chances in the second half but failed to find the target.
The Mumbai side were never in control of the game. The home team increased the lead in the 75th minute.
An unmarked James Gbillee received a through pass at the centre line, made a solo run and lobbed the ball over the Air India custodian Arnab Das Sharma to seal the fate of the game in his team’s favour.
Meanwhile, in another match Mahindra United drubbed Goan club Salgaocar 4-1 courtesy of a hatrick from Subair Muritala and an own goal from Gurpreet Singh.
Salgaocar took the lead through Cajetan Fernandes (21), but a Steven Dias goal in the 23rd minute and three from Subair (50, 67, 85) saw Mahindra gain three points.
Pune FC held
On Saturday, Pune FC settled for a 2-2 draw against Sporting Clube de Goa in Panaji. Jeje Lalrekhlua put Pune FC ahead in the 10th minute which was cancelled by Sporting’s Junior Obagbemiro in the 26th minute.
Bibiano Fernandes then put Sporting ahead for the first time in the match in the 38th minute as Sporting took a 2-1 lead into the breather. Pune FC fought back in the second half to restore parity through Asim Hassan.