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Shillong Lajong FC earned a hard-fought 2-1 win against 10-man TRAU FC in the 2023-24 I-League on Saturday.
Playing a majority of the game a man down, TRAU's loss condemns them further, deeper into the points table; they now stand last in the 13-team league with just one point from six matches. With nine points from five matches, Shillong Lajong is now placed fifth in the league table, as per an I League press release. In a half completely dominated by the hosts, it was TRAU who took the lead, Robinson Singh's header the first in five games the club had scored in the league this season. The goal came against the run of play but was created out of some brilliant movement and speed of passing by the TRAU midfield. When the ball ended up with Deepak Singh on the right byline, the winger cut one way and another before dropping a pinpoint cross into the six-yard area for Robinson to slam in. It had been 525 minutes since TRAU had last scored a goal in the I-League, and within five minutes of that, Lajong struck back. Their goal came via a catastrophe of errors, first, from the TRAU goalkeeper Salam Sanaton Singh who spilt a routine cross straight into the path of Figo Syndai. The forward's shot on goal was blocked on the goalline by B Sunil, albeit with his hand. The referee immediately pointed to the spot and sent the Services man off. Hardy Cliff Nongbri duly obliged the partisan crowd with a calmly taken spot-kick to equalise. Playing against 10 men, Lajong were not clinical enough, their striker Elhadji Karim Samb guilty of missing a pair of close-range chances midway through the half. TRAU meanwhile were happy to defend deep and preserve what they could with the odds stacked against them. It took Lajong till the 85th minute to finally get the winner, a swift counter launched by Everbrightson Sana freeing up Karim Samb to drive into the box and cut the ball back toward the near post. In an effort to block Hardy Cliff, Thomas Singh put the ball in his own net. TRAU hit back almost from the kickoff, Abraham Okyere rippling the net, only to be found offside. It was the last real bit of drama as Lajong held on for a deserved three points. (ANI)
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