Shillong Lajong FC made the best use of their home advantage in the I-League match here on Sunday, stunning the former champions Gokulam Kerala FC 3-1 at the SSA Stadium. While it was Shillong’s first win in the four matches so far, Gokulam suffered their first defeat of the season. Having left the stadium empty-handed, the Kerala side are stuck in second place in the points table with 10 points from five matches.
Mohammedan Sporting, who won on Saturday, continue to top the table with 13 points from five outings.
Displaying an impressive performance in front of partisan fans, Shillong Lajong FC took the lead with a clinical header from Daniel Goncalves in the 29th minute. He made the most of a free kick from the left by skipper Hardy Cliff Nongbri as the lanky Goncalves jumped to beat the defence and head the ball to the corner of the net. Gokulam managed to level the score a couple of minutes before half time. Off a combined move, in which captain Alex Sanchez played a major role, Francisco Perdomo finished it off in style.
If Gokulam were toying with the idea of going home with at least one point, it suffered a jolt in the 75th minute because of their own mistake. As they conceded a penalty, Renan Paulino confidently struck the ball into the left side of the net. Breaking the deadlock in the 75th minute with a penalty, Shillong Lajong FC regained the lead as Renan Paulino confidently struck the ball into the left side of the net.
