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Shillong Lajong succumbed to a rather meek 0-2 defeat at the hands of ISL giants Jamshedpur FC in their final Group A fixture in the Kalinga Super Cup at the Kalinga Stadium Pitch One in Bhubaneswar on Saturday.
They kept the intensity for long periods of time in defense but conceded their first goal in the dying stages of the first half. Although they started the second half well, they conceded another goal in the 74th minute. From then on, the game was virtually over.
Their head coach Bobby Lyngdoh Nongbet spoke exclusively to Sportskeeda after the game and mentioned how good a learning experience this tournament had been for his boys.
"Look, the result did not go our way, but that does not mean that we did not do well. We did extremely well in pockets of the game, and that is what helped us to compete with them for so long," said Nongbet.
"This was a good game for us, and despite losing 0-2, I think we learnt a lot. We have to implement what we learnt here in the I-League; that is the main goal," he added.
"We now know where we have to work upon and what needs to be improved" - Bobby Nongbet
Lajong looked like they were in control for most of the game, but unfortunately, they could not end up on the winning side.
In a game of fine margins, they could not bring the final product that would have helped them put one into the Red Miners' net.
Nongbet, however, was pleased that his players got the exposure they needed from this game and can now put their attention wholeheartedly into the I-League, whose second phase is slated to begin on February 2. Lajong play their first match of that phase a day later at home against Inter Kashi.
"The boys found out where they stand in comparison to the other clubs, and that sort of learning is important. We now know where we have to work upon and what needs to be improved," said Nongbet.
"We played against top ISL sides in this competition, and that will give us a lot of confidence going forward. We have some time before the I-League begins, and that is where our main focus is now," he added.
