I-League Media Team

SHILLONG: Looking to catapult themselves up the points table and away from the relegation zone, Shillong Lajong FC and Salgaocar FC have it all to play for when the two teams meet in a Hero I-League match at the JN Stadium here on Saturday.

This will only be Lajong’s fifth match in Shillong this season and the pressure will be firmly on them as their fans want to see them take a full three points from the encounter. The Reds are currently in ninth place on 13 points, just behind the visitors, who have 14.

Salgaocar have not been in Shillong for a long time, having last played here in December 2013 when they went down 2-1 to their Saturday opponents. That match will have no consequence on the upcoming fixture, but what may do is the fatigue of the players, who lost 2-0 to Sporting Clube de Goa on Sunday before catching a delayed flight in Mumbai for Kolkata, where they went down to East Bengal by a solitary goal on Wednesday, leaving them little time to acclimatise to Shillong’s altitude and difference in weather.

Derrick Pereira’s men have to also overcome a streak of four defeats on the trot, extending to the start of April. However, the Goan team’s coach chose to focus on the positives from those losses.

“In those four matches we performed well but came out disappointed. It will be very, very tough to play Shillong Lajong but I’m sure the players will fight it out,” he said here on Friday.

Meanwhile, this match will be the first of seven that SLFC will play at home to end out the season. According to coach Thangboi Singto, a less than ideal start at the beginning of the year hindered his club from really kicking their campaign into gear, but being unbeaten in the last five games (though four of these were draws) has really helped his charges’ confidence levels.

Incidentally, the last game Lajong lost in the I-League was at the hands of Salgaocar, who beat them 2-1 in Goa at the beginning of March.

Although the visiting team have pretty much every player fit – although there are a couple in the ranks with niggles – Lajong do not have it the same way, with Singto informing that captain Aiborlang Khongjee is still unfit, along with fellow defender Robin Gurung. Seiminlen Doungel and Lalfakzuala are also doubtful starters.

Kick-off: 25-04-2015@ 4:30 PM
Hashtag: #SLFCvSFC