By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: In a big match for Shillong Lajong FC, the North East team will take on defending I-League champions Dempo at the JN Stadium, Polo, at 2:00pm on Sunday.
SLFC have now gone seven matches without a win with their last triumph at the end of November last year in the 3-1 victory over Pailan Arrows at home.
But after the 0-6 thrashing at the hands of Churchill Brothers away on January 4, they were able to return from Goa with at least one point, having drawn 0-0 with Sporting Clube de Goa on January 8, a result that SLFC coach Desmond Bulpin was pleased about given that Lajong has not had a good history of playing in the coastal state.
With more than half the season over, however, Lajong supporters would have hoped for their team to be in a better position in the points table.
Given that they lost the three points they earned by beating the suspended Mohun Bagan, the Shillong club are now in 12th place with only United Sikkim below them.
The current season is nothing if not a closely-contested one, however.
A win against Dempo will lift Lajong above Sporting and Salgaocar, who are 10th and 11th respectively.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Bulpin said he retains faith in his players.
“I still believe that we’re good enough,” he said. “The boys are more confident when we play at home and I don’t think we’ve had a bad home game all season except against Sporting, where we were terrible.”
Asked whether he was concerned about facing Dempo, he confidently denied it.
“When we play to our potential, we can beat anybody,” he stated.
Reiterating what he has said more than once this season, Bulpin noted that just two wins strung together could take Shillong Lajong up towards the middle of the league standings.
“The league this year is very tight and competitive,” he noted, pointing out that even the lower-rated teams have been able to turn in giant-killing performances.
What has hurt the team is “bad luck”, according to the coach.
Additionally, the team was hampered by injuries and suspensions in Goa, which were exacerbated by the small size of the squad.
Bad luck has brought the confidence of some players down, Bulpin said.
He was also of the feeling that positive thinking on the part of the players can bring about some change to the team’s fortunes.
Growing increasingly desperate for a victory, there has been criticism of striker Friday Gbeneme from some quarters, but Bulpin adamantly stood by him.
“Friday just needs a bit of confidence, that’s all,” Bulpin said. “Otherwise, he’s been brilliant,” he added of the Nigerian, who will be partnered by Ebi Sukore – who is back from an extended period away due to injury – up front on Sunday as Sushil Kumar Singh has been suspended and will miss the game.
Without blaming his players, Bulpin admitted that the team had missed a few too many chances to score in recent matches, but he put these down more to bad luck than anything.
Apart from Sushil, the home team will also miss out on Renedy Singh and Govin Singh, who are both injured. Injuries to Lalhlimthara and Seikhohao Tuboi also add to the team’s problems, although Samson Ramengmawia is available after coming back from injury.
For their part, Dempo, who are currently fourth in the points, aim to win in Shillong despite the cold weather.
Through a press release, visiting coach Armando Colaco said, “Lajong will have a bigger advantage tomorrow considering the climate in Shillong is very cold.”
In other matches on the day, third-placed East Bengal will take on fifth-placed Mumbai FC in Kolkata, while leaders Churchill host 13th and last-placed United Sikkim.