Reds host Bengaluru today
SHILLONG: It has been a long three-month wait for the fans, but, finally, Shillong Lajong FC will be back in action at the JN Stadium, Polo, on Sunday in an I-League contest against Bengaluru FC at 5:00pm.
The Reds have not played at home since December 21 when they defeated Dempo SC 2-1.
Although they have not won as many home games as they would have liked, Lajong have not lost in Shillong since October 9, when they were outclassed by East Bengal 4-0.
For their part, league leaders Bengaluru have been doing extraordinarily well to keep the other teams behind them in the standings in what has been a nailbiter of a season.
They have already beaten SLFC 2-1 in Bangalore on December 1 and also came perilously close to matching a rejuvenated Rangdajied United FC in Shillong just three weeks ago.
BFC also arrived in the hill station for this next fixture a full week in advance and that should give them an added benefit.
Ashley Westwood’s men have won their last two outings, including one away at United SC, in convincing fashion, but the two Shillong clubs have been nothing but unpredictable this season and the visitors cannot afford to rest on their laurels.
Bengaluru will be without forward Robin Singh, who is suspended, but will have captain Sunil Chhetri – the leading scorer this season – and former SLFC man Johnny Menyongar available to them.
The home team, meanwhile, are fully fit and raring to go, according to coach Thangboi Singto.
“We are back home after almost a month and we hope to pick up the three points tomorrow,” Singto said at a press conference here on Saturday.
Predictably, he stated that his boys will go all out for a victory.
“Given the standard of football that Bengaluru have set, it is surely not going to be an easy match by any means. We have prepared as well as we could,” he added.
In a tough schedule, Lajong drew three of the four consecutive away games they faced this year.
They last played on March 14 at East Bengal, where they drew 0-0.
Westwood said that he does not give much importance to where a team is in the standings.
“We played Lajong once before and won, but on that day I said that they are a top-four side and I have been proven right,” the Bengaluru coach said of his Sunday opponents, who were at one stage in fourth place in the standings but have now dropped to sixth after Dempo’s victory over Mohammedan Sporting on Saturday.
Three other I-League matches will also be held on Sunday, including another big one for Shillong – the Rangdajied vs East Bengal encounter in Kolkata (see next story).
The other two fixtures should also be of interest to fans of the two Shillong clubs.
In Goa, bottom club Churchill Brothers will host Pune FC, while just down the road from that match, Sporting Clube de Goa will take on the visiting Mohun Bagan.
Defending champions Churchill are six points off Rangdajied with two games in hand, while Bagan are tied with RUFC on points but behind on head-to-head.
The Mariners have also played one more match than the Blues.
Meanwhile, Lajong are chasing Pune and Sporting Clube.
The Red Lizards are in third place, four points ahead of SLFC, while Sporting are placed in fourth with 29 points.
Both teams, however, have played one match less than Shillong Lajong.
Past seasons have seen fans worry at this stage whether Lajong will be able to avoid relegation, but all that has changed in 2013-14 and the Reds have really turned things around and shown that they can be a top-four outfit.