Clinical hosts beat Chennai City 2-0
SHILLONG: Clinical Shillong Lajong FC made it three home wins in a row riding on a Dipanda Dicka brace as they beat Chennai City FC 2-0 in a sixth round Hero I-League match at the JN Stadium here on Tuesday.
Dicka started from where he left in the last match against Mumbai FC getting the hosts the breakthrough in the 20th minute and following it up with another hit at the nets in the 65th minute.
Dicka’s two goals against Chennai took him to the joint top position in the race for 2016-17’s Golden Boot.
The victory was sweeter for SLFC coach Thangboi Singto as his side finally kept a clean sheet for the first time in the season on Tuesday.
The on field combinations have worked well for Singto who has kept an unchanged starting XI for all three home games and the result was there for everyone to see.
Meanwhile, there was no respite in sight for the visitors who were left doing the defending job for most part as the hosts held firm to the proceedings.
That the Marcos Vinicius and Charles De Souza combination never got going for Chennai also augured well for the hosts who looked the fitter of the two sides.
Buoyed by two wins on the trot against Minerva Punjab and Mumbai FC, Lajong started the proceedings on a dominant note looking to control the game from the outset.
Singto’s combinations at the back and upfront seemed to be thinking alike as Chennai were cramped for room.
While Chinglensena and Nim Tamang held the fortress at the back, Yuta Kiniwaki pushed things from the centre park even as Issac played a pivotal role around the same area.
The first real chance came Lajong’s way when Dicka crossed one back to Redeem Tlang from far right only to see the local forward smash it for the goalie to enforce a rebound.
Five minutes later, following an excellent assist from Issac, Dicka headed one into the nets from inside as the sizeable crowd at JN Stadium went into raptures.
In the 25th minute, Lajong had good aim at the nets twice but were unlucky on both occasions as the ball was somehow cleared in the melee.
Chennai did look like making a comeback towards the fag end of the first half but some solid defending kept them at bay at half time even as a couple of balls flew over the crossbar.
Crossing over, Marcos wasted a decent opportunity to secure Chennai the equaliser when he lost control of the ball inside the box with a diving SLFC custodian Vishal Kaith in front of him.
Five minutes after the hour mark Dicka virtually took the game away from the visitors by smashing one into the nets from close range after being fed inside by a free kick which was left uncleared.
Chennai efforts thereafter to stage a comeback bore no results as the hosts romped home to a famous victory.
With the win Lajong remain in fifth position, but now have nine points, while Chennai City are ninth with four points.
The Reds’ next test will be on Sunday, February 5, when they host Churchill Brothers.