Delhi FC recorded their second win of the I-League 2024-25 campaign, a dominant 3-1 victory against Shillong Lajong in Round 6 at the Mahilpur Football Stadium on Thursday.
With Mahilpur as their new home, Delhi got off to a good start as Vanlalhriatzuala (7’) put them in the lead, before Phrangki Buam (34’) reined things back to level terms for Lajong. Stephane Binong (54’) and Himanshu Jangra (66’) scored two in the second half to win it for the hosts.
Daniel Goncalves was given his marching orders in injury time after a second bookable offence.
This result lifted Delhi FC to the fourth spot on the I-League table.
Delhi made a blistering start to the game and suffocated Shillong Lajong with their constant barrage of attacks.
In the seventh minute, a corner to the far post was weakly cleared by Lajong, the ball pinging around in the six yard area, before Danilo Augusto brought it down and laid it off for Vanlalhriatzuala.
The Mizo midfielder walloped a first-time shot into the roof of the net from inside the six-yard box.
When Lajong’s equaliser did arrive, it wasn’t so much a surprise as an abject shocker as it was entirely the hosts’ fault.
A routine low cross from the left by Marcos Rudwere was sliding towards Lalmalsawma to clear.
The defender completely missed the ball and it trickled through to Phrangki Buam lurking behind him and the winger had to merely tap in from five yards to bring his side level.
The pattern of play stayed consistent in the second half too, and just before the hour mark Delhi wrested back the lead the scorer becoming the provider.
Picking up a stray ball inside the box, Vanlalhriatzuala played a brilliant lobbed ball across the face of goal, where Stephane Binong had shaken away his marker.
The Cameroonian’s perfectly placed diving header ruffled the net.
Himanshu Jhangra added a brilliant third in the 66th minute, volleying into the bottom corner from the top of the box.
Despite the game getting increasingly ill-tempered at the end, and Lajong having Goncalves sent off, Delhi cruised to a deserved win.
Gokulam Kerala’s winless streak extends, draws against Rajastan United
Gokulam Kerala FC and Rajasthan United FC played out a tense goalless draw at the EMS Corporation Stadium, in Kozhikode.
The result left Gokulam Kerala frustrated as the hosts remained winless in the last five matches.
They occupy the seventh position in the I-League standings with seven points from six games.
Rajasthan United, on the other hand, clinched a crucial point in another away game after winning against Aizawl FC in their last match.
They are sixth in the table with seven points in six matches.
Buoyed by home support, Gokulam Kerala created the most opportunities but failed to capitalize on any of them.
The script didn’t change much in the second half too as Gokulam Kerala continued to dominate proceedings.
However, a lack of sharpness in front of the goal meant they failed to score.
Rajasthan United defenders too played their part as they didn’t give much space to Gokulam forwards to operate.
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