the goan I network
Panaji
Local favourites Churchill Bros take on Aizawl FC in a crucial Round-16 match of I-League here tomorrow.
Earlier, Aizawl FC suffered a jolt to their title aspirations when they went down to defending champions Bengaluru FC by a solitary goal scored in added time.
With three rounds to go, Aizawl FC is now tied on 30 points each along with Mohun Bagan at the top, and three points above East Bengal, who are on the third place.
The match will be played at the Tilak Stadium.
Aizawl FC, who got relegated last year but got a chance to play this season after three Goan clubs - Dempo SC, Salgaocar FC and Sporting Clube de Goa - pulled out of the tournament, are in race for their maiden I-League title along with Mohun Bagan and East Bengal.
The team’s coach Khalid Jamil is optimistic that his team can win the title.
“We are just three rounds away and tomorrow’s match is crucial in our race for the title. We need to win to keep ourselves in race for the title.
The boys have been positive and have come all along the way, and now they need to keep themselves focus and win tomorrow’s match before we play against Mohun Bagan at home next for the title clash,” Jamil told reporters today.
“The last time we played against Churchill Brothers, we won convincingly but after Derrick Pereira took over the reins they are a transformed side. We need to put up collective performance and not feel the extra pressure of winning the title,” he said.
Churchill Brothers, who have pulled themselves out of relegation are placed 6th with 17 points from 15 matches, and will be now looking to finish among the top five.
Pereira, also former DSK Shivajians FC coach will look to stick with his top performers, especially Ansumana Kromah, who has been in a blazing form. He will be partnered by Anthony Wolfe upfront.
Lajong take on Blues in penultimate home clash
Shillong Lajong FC will have it all to play for when they take on 5th-placed Bengaluru FC at the JN Stadium, Shillong on Saturday afternoon. The match will start at 2 pm.
Having snatched a point from table-toppers Mohun Bagan in their last home encounter, Lajong would like to settle for nothing less than full three points against the Southern travellers who have had an indifferent season this year.
The Reds are surely eyeing a top three finish and their zeal to achieve the same makes Saturday’s encounter a mouth-watering clash.
Bengaluru, on the other hand, come to the tie on the back of a hard-earned last minute win over Aizawl FC at home and would be desperate to brush up their reputation as a formidable I-League side.
Bagan favourites against Minerva
Mohun Bagan will be looking to dominate Minerva once again as they play the Punjab outfit at the Guru Nanak Stadium on Saturday. In the first-leg, Bagan had demolished Minerva 4-0.
The Mariners also are in good form having accounted for East Bengal 2-1 in a recent fixture of the Calcutta League derby. In the I-League they last drew with Shillong Lajong 1-1 in an away match.
