AIZAWL, Jan 30: Shillong Lajong deepened Aizawl FC’s woes, beating them 3-1 in their I-League 2024-25 encounter, on Thursday.
With the result, Lajong’s 16 points took them to fifth on the table while Aizawl remained rooted to the bottom three. The winners led 1-0 at half time.While Douglas Tardin, (penalty), Hardy Cliff Nongbri and Phrangki Buam scored for Shillong Lajong, the home side’s lone goal came through Lalbiakdika during the add-on time of the second half.
The visitors struck the first blow in the ninth minute, when Phrangki Buam was brought down inside the box by goalkeeper John Lalruatfela. A long ball from midfield had caught out the Aizawl defence and the goalkeeper came charging off his line to body check the speedy Lajong forward.
The I-League’s leading scorer Douglas Tardin made no mistake from the spot, side footing his shot into the bottom right corner after Lalruatfela had dived the other way.For Aizawl, this was the worst situation playing out in real time. Their young squad made little headway through the half and barely registered anything of note at all.
I-LEAGUE
A half-hearted shot easily gathered by Ranit Sarkar was the best that came of their chances in that period. Lajong meanwhile were also content to stroke the ball around and keep the home side at bay, Buam’s curled attempt from the edge of the box the only other shot on target.
Within minutes of the restart, Lajong doubled their lead. Tardin displayed exactly why he isn’t just the league’s top goalscorer but also its top goal initiator, with another contribution in the second.
His gentle lay off inside the box was handily slammed in first time with the outside of the boot, by Hardy Cliff Nongbri. Lajong’s captain wheeled off in celebration even as Aizawl’s shoulders slumped. With every game week, Aizawl’s ambitions slip further down, and as the team remain precariously perched just off the bottom of the table, shutting the leakage of goals is perhaps a primary concern.
No one has conceded more goals than them this season, and they were playing a side, who have scored the most.
Lajong kept creating chances through the half, but were also prone to leaving spaces in behind when they did so.
Aizawl started playing on the counter and if not for the swift reflexes and game sense of Sarkar could even have bagged a pair of goals of their own to draw level.
Lajong added a third via Buam, after the forward had been brilliantly played through by Nongbri in the right of the box. (Agencies)
