Shillong Lajong FC would be aiming for a turnaround of fortunes, but the task looks easier said than done, against the in-form Minerva Punjab FC in an I- League clash on Wednesday.
Lajong will be going into this match after suffering a a three-goal defeat at home to Mohun Bagan. It was unable to capitalise on its chances and could not make use of the home advantage.
Lajong is currently fifth with 17 points from five wins and two draws. Shillong Lajong has played seven matches away from home so far and has only won two of those games, beating North-East neighbours, Aizawl FC and Neroca FC and drew against Mohun Bagan.
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Having notched up only 11 goals in 14 matches, Lajong will be hoping to convert its chances and beat Minerva, placed second in the table, and a lot is expected from its forwards, Koffi and Jagne.
Minerva Punjab won the first leg encounter in Shillong on January 14 with a solitary goal from William Opoku. Talking about Minerva Punjab, Shillong Lajong coach Alison Kharsyntiew said, “Minerva is a well-balanced team with players who work very hard throughout the ninety minutes. It will be a tough match for us, but we are ready for the challenge. The remaining four games are very crucial for us. We want to take each game at a time and earn maximum points from every game.”
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The Punjab side has surprised everyone with some power-packed performances since the I-League kicked off in November 2017 and has won eight games. The team, which has scored 17 goals so far, has benifitted from the goal-scoring exploits of target man Chencho Gyeltshen of Bhutan. The ‘Bhutanese Ronaldo’ has already netted six goals, and also has five assists to his name.
“Chencho is our real threat. He has been performing consistently and in our last match we saw his impact,” said Kharsyntiew.
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