| Powermen miss key players, concede 0-3 defeat | ||
Guwahati, Dec 24 : Lajong Football Club, Shillong, emerged as Group A toppers in the quarter-final league of the 57th Bharat Ratna Lokapriya Bordoloi Trophy Football Tournament defeating Assam State Electricity Board (ASEB) Sports Club, Guwahati 3-0 in the last match of the group at Nehru Stadium here today. The ASEB sorely missed the services of key players Sanjeeva Rongpi and Abuan Gonmei. They even missed their coach Ganesh Rai, who had to attend a felicitation ceremony in Dibrugarh today. The in-form Bikash Narzinary, too, looked off-colour today, having injured his ankle after stepping on an uneven portion in the midfield. Although the powermen initiated several moves, their attack lacked the sting to beat the agile Shillong custodian R. Lalthuam Mawia. Debasis Kundu, Moni Kanta Brahma and Prabin Kumar Brahma took a couple of shots at the goal each, in either half, but luck was smiling on the Sh1llong side today and those shots either rebounded off the posts or were brilliantly saved by custodian Mawia. The day once again belonged to Rocy Mawia, who added more goals to his tally. He had struck for a hattrick against 2 ASRF on Sunday. Foreign recruit James Gbilee fashioned the lead for Lajong in the 24th minute when he pushed the ball off a Rohmingthanga pass over an advancing ASEB goalie Mintu Sonowal. Mawia netted his goals in the 40th and 65th minutes. He struck the first from inside the goalbox when Sonowal went overboard chasing a cross from Rohmingthanga to Niwa-o-Gatphom on the right flank. Gatphom returned a pass to Mawia, who pushed it in to consolidate the lead. Sonowal conceded the third goal once again by going overboard trying to intercept a pass from Gbilee to Mawia, which he missed. Lajong will meet the winners of tomorrow’s match between Oil India FC, Duliajan, and Assam Police Blues in the semi-final on Friday. ASEB will take on Assam Rifles in the first semi-final on Thursday. |
