SHILLONG: In a high-scoring game, Langsning FC took a point after drawing with Bhawanipore FC 3-3 in the second leg of the 2nd Division I-League played at the Bangalore Football Stadium on Thursday.
With this Langsning are in the third place with nine points while Bhawanipore have moved a step up to second place with 10 points in their kitty.
It was the Kolkata side that took the lead in the 14th minute of the game after Hudson Lima da Silva scored through a free kick from 30 yards.
Their joy was short lived, however, as Langsning skipper Daniel equalised two minutes later when he converted Marlangki Suting’s cross.
Four minutes later the un-marked Suting, on receiving a ball from the halfway mark in the box, gave the Shillong side the lead by scoring to make it 2-1.
As the match went into stoppage time in the first half, Dipendu Dowary set home a cross from da Siva, making the scoreboard read 2-2 at the lemon break.
Changing over, Bhawanipore started off in an aggressive mood and earned a spot kick in the 49th minute when referee MB Santosh Kumara caught Bijoy Das bringing down da Silva inside the box.
However Langsning custodian Prem Kumar Singh denied da Silva the penalty as he judged the striker’s movement and grabbed the ball.
Three minutes later Joel Sunday dribbled the ball from the midfield into the box and gave Langsning the lead once again.
Under pressure, Bhawanipore brought in their star striker Jose Ramirez Barreto, and the rhythm of the game changed as Langsning went onto the defensive; skipper Daniel also started playing the role of a stopper.
Da Silva, in the 69th minute, equalised once again as he tapped home a cross from Barreto.
Langsning once again resumed the attack, with Joel’s shot missing the target by few inches in the 80th minute.
Two minutes later Langsning received a golden opportunity to take a late lead after the referee caught Bhawanipore defender Gurpreet Singh bringing down L Nabachandra Singh inside the box and awarded a spot kick in favour of the Shillong team.
Joel Sunday put in a lollypop shot that rival custodian Amit Singha Roy had no difficulty in stopping.
Earlier in the day, table toppers Mohammedan Sporting pipped Kolkata side Southern Samity by a solitary goal.
With this win Mohammedan have moved up to 14 points, four ahead of second place holders Bhawanipore.
