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Champions Minerva Punjab FC, their hopes of defending the I-League title now quashed, resume Game Week 14 of the 12th I-League with a clash at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium in Panchkula, against bottom-placed Shillong Lajong FC on Friday, January 25. The game is scheduled for a 2pm IST kick-off and is a return leg fixture, the first game at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in Shillong ending in a 2-2 stalemate.
Minerva Punjab FC have not won in over a month and a half and the last points Shillong Lajongv picked up was against their Friday hosts in the first-leg over two months back, giving both reasons to look forward to the game with zeal.
Minerva Punjab FC managed a last-gasp equaliser in their previous game at the same venue against Gokulam Kerala FC and their search for goals and goalscorers continue this season.
Three of the mere seven goals that Minerva Punjab FC have scored in the 13 games played so far, have come from defenders including last week’s lone goal against Gokulam Kerala FC. Irish coach Paul Munster will be a worried man with AFC Champions League games getting closer by the day.
He seemed to be acknowledging the problem in the pre-game presser, when he said, “We have used seven strikers and it wasn’t good enough. We lacked in concentration and also made a few mistakes which the boys are working on. We have a new dimesion on the attacking line now. We just want to keep up the hard work.”
Shillong Lajong FC, despite having lost 11 of their 13 games, have scored seven more goals than Minerva Punjab FC and with nothing to lose, will fight for pride and their free-flowing relentless attacking game might just be a threat for a Minerva Punjab FC under pressure.
It remains to be seen how Shillong Lajong FC coach Alison Kharsyntiew encourages his young boys to fight, with relegation staring them in the face.
The coach seemed to be in no mood for a letup in attacking play though, sharing in the press conference, “We have scored and conceeded goals. Our last match against Real Kashmir was good. We are looking at scoring more goals. We have played good matches with enriching experiences. They will help us in playing this season and for the next season.”
Phrangki Buam is one Shillong Lajong FC player who has had a good campaign, scoring four times to be the second-best Indian goal scorer of the league after Jobby Justin of East Bengal and he will look forward to the game having scored one of his team’s two goals in the first leg at home.
So did Philip Njoku and William Opoku Asiedu for Minerva Punjab FC, two players who have scored more than once this season for the Champions and will also look forward to getting more goals against their name against comparatively easier opponets on paper.
Shillong Lajong FC have, however, surprised often in the league campaign and Minerva Punjab FC have often been surprised this season, therefore it will be all to play for at the Tau Devi Lal on Friday.
