Shillong, Dec 11: It was another away heartbreak for Shillong Lajong FC as they were defeated 6-1 by the I-League debutants Real Kashmir FC in their fourth away match of the 2018/19 I-League season. The match was held at the TRC Turf Ground in Srinagar at 2 PM.
Abednedo Tetteh scored a brace along with a goal each from Robertson, Nagen Tamang, Surchandra Singh and Kizo for the hosts whereas it was Samuel Kynshi who scored the solitary goal for Lajong.
Coach Alison made two changes going into the match as Hardy Cliff Nongbri was handed his first start of the season replacing Nabin Rabha and Sheen Sohktung came in to replace Lalawmpuia Hnamte. The early minutes of the game saw Real Kashmir with a chance to open the scoring but Neitho managed to clear the danger away. There were a few more half chances for the hosts in the following minutes which was defended well by the duo of Aiban and Kenstar.
Lajong then started to dominate the game with most of the ball possession but the players were not being able to create the deciding ball in the final third of the pitch. In the 25th minute, it was Abednedo Tteh who opened the scoring for the Kashmir side from a cross from the left from Krizo making it 1-0.
Minutes later, Kenstar Kharsong after taking the ball off from Kashmir’s forward tried to feed Samuel Kynshi up front with an astonishing through ball but the goalkeeper’s clearance ricocheted off Kynshi to find the back of the net and made it 1-1. It was then mostly Lajong with the ball before Real Kashmir made it 3-1 with two goals in 5 minutes before the end of first half.
Defender Mason Robertson scored from a header from a corner at the 37th minute and at the 42nd minute when Lajong committed players up front looking for an equaliser Nagen Tamang scored from a counter to make it 3-1 in favour of the hosts. The first half didn’t see much of actions and after 2 minutes of added time the half ended with a score-line of 3-1.
Being two goals down, Lajong started the second half with a substitution as Kitboklang Pale came on for his debut to replace Samuel Lalmuanpuia. The early minutes of the half needed the brilliance of defenders Rakesh Pradhan and Kenstar to keep the hosts’ forwards at bay. But at the 50th minute a foul by Aiban inside the box earned himself a yellow card and a penalty for Real Kashmir. Krizo then made no mistake from the spot to make it 4-1 for Real Kashmir.
The Reds then created plenty of chances up front in the following minutes as Phrangki, Kynshi and Kitbok were linking well but they failed to find their shots on target on multiple occasions. Despite creating a lot of chances, it was Surchandra Singh for Real Kashmir who managed to find the back of the net at the 74th minute after the rebound from Neitho’s save fell perfectly to him to make it 5-1.
At the 76th minute, debutant Kitboklang Pale registered his first shot on target as the forwards’ curling effort from the left was just somehow tipped over the bar by the Kashmir goalkeeper. Abednedo Tetteh, in the 83rd minute, found the back of the net again after a defensive lapse of concentration from the Reds’ defenders and made it 6-1 for the hosts.
Lajong’s last chance of the game from a corner when Kitboklang Pale tried to find the far post direct from the corner, but the goalkeeper punched it away to safety in the 2nd minute of additional time. The game didn’t see much of an action thereafter and ended 6-1 at the referee’s whistle.Shillong Lajong will now travel to Kolkata to face Mohun Bagan on 23rd of December.
