By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: In their last home game of the current I-League season, Shillong Lajong FC will face a must-win match against eighth-placed Mumbai FC at the JN Stadium, Polo, on Sunday at 5:00pm.
While the home team have performed well in their last three matches, bagging points from them all, they will have been left a little disappointed after only drawing against ONGC last Sunday 1-1.
Their opponents on Sunday, on the other hand are in a better position in the points table, but lost their most recent match, against Mohun Bagan, in Kolkata, 2-3 earlier in the week.
However, the pressure is firmly on Lajong, who slipped to 12th place in the standings after Bagan beat Air India 3-2 on Saturday.
Beating Mumbai will move SLFC up to 10th place, although the teams they would displace (Pailan Arrows and Bagan) will have games in hand.
The need for the hosts to show some fighting spirit and win was recognised by coach Thangboi Singto at a pre-match press conference on Saturday.
“As a team we always give our best effort to do well. We tried our best against ONGC, but we suffered from a little lapse in concentration.”
Asked if his team would try anything different, especially with regards to strker Edinho Junior, who was well marked by ONGC’s defenders, Singto said, “We have different plans for different teams.
“Our approach will change versus Mumbai.
“We want to defend properly,” he added. “And we may play two up front, a more attacking form of football.”
Singto admitted that Lajong had plenty of chances against ONGC, but refused to blame any of his players for not taking them, saying that his job is to motivate his charges.
“We all make mistakes, but we don’t want to repeat them,” he said.
He also did not blame the refereeing, which was arguably poor in certain respects last Sunday.
“If we take our chances, refereeing won’t ome into it. All we ask is that the refs perform to their best, like the players are expected to.”
Also at the press conference was Mumbai’s manager, who said that his team are targetting a finish in the top four of the League.
He said that it was “unfortunate” that Mumbai lost to Bagan in the dying seconds of their last game, and also feels that it will be “difficult playing Lajong at home. The crowd is all for the home team, which is the way it should be.”
