Mohun Bagan does Shillong Lajong a favour

Shillong Lajong Football Club celebrate at last. On a day where everyone in the stadium muffed up the calculations one time or the other as to which team would make it to the semis from Group A, Lajong scraped past all to sneak into the semifinal if the 33^rdFederation Cup. But not before a written-off McDowell Mohun Bagan did them a favour.

In the first match at the Balewadi Sports Complex in Pune, Lajong rode Lajong rode on John Meyongar’s 43^rd minute strike to beat Royal Wahingdoh 1-0.

But they kept their fingers crossed and waited for the next match to finish, a match where a victory for Churchill Brothers against McDowell Mohun Bagan would have given the Goan team a ticket into the semis. But with Bagan holding Churchill 2-2, all went wild in the Lajong camp.

Both Lajong and Wahingdoh finished their engagements on 6 points but Lajong went through to semis on head-to-head count.

Against Lajong, Royal Wahingdoh crumbled under pressure. Needing just a draw to make it to the semis, they lost the plot against city rivals. Lajong could have won by a better margin had not striker Iyikwobe Chizoza muffed up a penalty in the 63^rd minute. The penalty was awarded after John was brought down in the box by Kareem Nurian. Nurain was flashed the red card.

But Lajong failed to take advantage of their numerical superiority as Wahingdoh went all out in the attack. Wahingdoh’s best chance came when Chenco, all in the clear failed to beat rival custodian Lalthuammawia Ralte in the 77^th minute. Earlier, Nurain stayed guilty of failing to taping in with a helpless Ralte out of position.

BAGAN HOLD CHURCHILL BROTHERS 2-2: In the second match of the day, McDowell Mohun Bagan came back from behind to hold Churchill Brothers 2-2. After Henri Arnaud had put Churchill in the 23^rd minute, Bagan scored two within a span of three minutes – first Jose Ramirrez Baretto heading in Jewel Raja’s corner in the 41^st minute and then Sunil Chhetri blasting it home in the 44^thminute.