By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: On a four-game winless streak and stuck in eighth place in the points table, Shillong Lajong FC have it all to play for when they clash with Pune FC in a round 13 clash of the I-League here on Saturday.
Lajong will be determined to come away with a win in this match, the last for the club this year, as they have Mohun Bagan and Air India breathing down their neck in ninth and 10th places respectively.
At the first press conference in the city after his side’s 0-3 loss away to ONGC, Lajong coach Desmond Bulpin analysed the defeat to the Delhi team, saying that for the first 30 minutes the Lajong boys played well.
“Overall, I think we performed quite well. The problem is that when we play small sides, they stay defensive for the most part, rarely coming forward,” Bulpin said.
ONGC, who were bottom of the table before that match and who had only won one of their previous nine matches, are a good team, Bulpin added.
Prior to the ONGC defeat, the Shillong club had drawn three games, to Air India – a game Bulpin feels Lajong should have won – United Sikkim and East Bengal. Bulpin also noted that even those teams that are considered minnows in the league are actually good enough to spring a few surprises along the way. Looking ahead, he said, “If we can get two wins in a row, we can shoot up the table because everybody is beating everybody.”
“We do need to improve on our away form,” he added.
“But it’s hard to buck the mentality of losing away, which has been the case for Lajong over the past couple of years. If you look at our away form last year, it was abysmal,” he said, alluding to the somewhat better performance this season thus far.
Up against Pune, who are currently third in the standings, Bulpin described them as “one of the best run teams in the I-League.” Lajong have been training hard over the last week and the coach expressed confidence in his boys. “I’m confident that, if we play properly, we can win.”
One thing that might stand in the home team’s way, however, is their injury worries.
Boithang Haokip and Ebi Sukore are both injured and there will be four 17-year-olds on the bench for Saturday’s game. Bulpin was confident in the quality of the young lads, however, and praised the U-19 coach who has been working on their development.
Godbold for developing youth
Staying with the topic of youth, at the press conference was John Godbold, who has been working with Shillong Lajong in conducting soccer camps for children in various parts of the state, as well as conducting a coaches clinic on Friday. The last leg of the camp will be held in the city on Monday, where around 400 kids are expected to take part. In total, the club expect around 2,000 children to have participated in the eight camps by Monday and Godbold was thoroughly impressed by the children who have already participated. Stressing on the importance of identifying and developing talented youth, Bulpin, backed by Godbold, said, “The first team in India that can properly develop youth can go all the way and dominate football in the country.”