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Shillong Lajong FC scored a 4-0 win in their final Group C match against Mumbai FC in the 35th Federation Cup at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on Tuesday afternoon.
Striker Cornell Glen again was the star of the match with an impressive performance and also collected his first Federation Cup hattrick, which also makes him the highest goalscorer of the tournament so far.
The game remained in midfield for the first few minutes of the match with both teams vying for possession. Lajong FC almost went-up in the 10th minute after Lalchhuanmawia Fanai made a brilliant run from the left flank and fired a cross which found Redeem Tlang just outside the box whose effort was blocked for a corner. The chance sparked of a similar attack at the opposite end of the field when Henry Ezeh should have scored for Mumbai FC, only for his shot to be denied by the Lajong custodian Vinay Singh whose touch sent the ball off the post and back into the goalkeeper’s hands.
Thereafter Cornell Glen was brought down in the box. Lajong FC striker Subash Singh had a brilliant run into the box and his shot was saved by Mumbai FC goalie Kunal Sawant who couldn’t really clear it away from danger and saw the ball at Glen’s feet only for him to be brought down in the box by Sawant. Glen then scored the penalty in the 15th minute. Lajong kept pressing and found their second in the 23rd minute through a beautiful thunderous long range strike from Boithang Haokip.
The goal though did not force Mumbai FC into a more defensive approach as Khalid Jamil insisted on his team to keep pressing for a goal and even bringing in striker Jayesh Rane early in the 38th minute. Attacking plays from both sides created no more goals as the half ended with Thangboi Singto’s men going into the break with a two goal cushion.
Second half started much the same way as the first with Mumbai FC creating chances but the strike partnership of Henry Ezeh and Yakubu Yusif could not really convert any after Vinay Singh remained the difference in goal for The Reds. The match remained to be an attacking frenzy for both teams which then resulted in Lajong’s third goal in the 52nd minute. A smart counter attacking play saw Subash Singh put in a beautiful lobbed cross over the Mumbai FC defence and found Glen who made no mistake to complete his second goal. Lajong kept pressing and should have scored a lot more than the final score after a lot of easy chances were not converted successfully. Bipin Singh came on for Subash Singh and Tuboi came on Boithang Haokip but the changes could not yield more goals for The Reds.
Shillong Lajong kept attacking and was rewarded in the 89th minute when Glen was brought down again by substitute Khelemba Meetei but this time just outside the box. Khelemba should have been sent off as there were no defenders ahead of Glen with the Trinidad and Tobago international had an easy chance on goal. Glen stepped up to take the free-kick himself and curled it around the Mumbaikars wall into the bottom corner to complete his hattrick. That was the last real attack of the match as the game ended convincingly in Lajong’s favour.
