By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Lalramluaha struck in the 30th minute to lead Shillong Lajong FC to their second win of the I-League in a sixth round match against Pailan Arrows in Imphal on Saturday.
Apart from Lalramluaha, who scored a well deserved goal of a free kick outside the box, the other hero for Lajong was the goalkeeper Soram Porei Angamba who pulled off a few brilliant saves to deny any chance to the opponents at the Khuman Lampak Stadium.
In an evenly contested encounter, Lajong created a few chances in the first half before eventually finding the nets in the 30th minute. Pailan Arrows were also equal to the task and put the team from Shillong under pressure on several occasions both in the first and second halves of the match. Lajong had its chances to increase the lead in the second half but James Gbilee among others failed to capitalise.
With this win Lajong, who were well supported by the vociferous Imphal crowd, garnered eight points from six matches and moved to the seventh spot in the points table.
Lajong coach Pradyum Reddy said the team was happy to pick up full three points from the match.
“It was good to play on a surface which suits our style of football,” Reddy said.
Reddy was also all praise for Lalramluaha and Angamba who was also adjudged the man-of-the-match.
“There are days when we play well and don’t win and then there are days when vice versa happens. Today was one such day,” Reddy said in a lighter vein.
Hosts Lajong had come into this game on the back of a three-game winless streak and hence the victory was a welcome relief for the team from Shillong.
PTI adds from Kolkata
Prayag United, Salgaocar SC match drawn
Prayag United Sports Club squandered a penalty to settle for a goal-less draw against defending champions Salgaocar in their sixth round I-League fixture at the flood-lit Yuba Bharati Krirangan, here on Saturday.
Both the teams played a goal-less first-half, but in the 60th minute the local outfit got a golden opportunity to go ahead when Kayne Vincent of United was brought down in Salgaocar’s box by defender Biswajit Saha.
But Vincent failed to score from the spot, with his grounder going straight to Salgaocar goalkeeper Karanjit Singh.
The draw meant Prayag United SC remained unbeaten from six outings to be on 10 points, while the last year’s champions have seven points.
Salgaocar began on an atacking note and Ryuji Sueoka had a fine chance early into the start but the Japanese forward failed to find the back of the net.