Shillong Lajong FC rallied twice to hold Mohun Bagan 2-2 in a 22nd round encounter of the I-League football at the Kalyani Stadium on Thursday. All the goals came in the second session.
Australian Tolgay Ozbey gave Mohun Bagan the lead in the 52nd minute, but Shillong responded immediately through Boithang Haokip in the 53rd minute.
The visitors showed fine resilience in levelling again when substitute P.C. Lahimthara cancelled out Manish Maithani’s 60th minute goal. Bagan, with 10 points from 17 outings, continued to remain at the bottom while Lajong FC tallied 21 points from 22 matches.
Lajong FC, which was strengthened by the inclusion of the 18-year-old Portuguese striker Edinho Junior on loan from the Blackburn Rovers, found some openings in the first half but failed to convert them.
Neat finish
Mohun Bagan started well after the break and got the lead in the 52nd minute when Tolgay Ozbey latched on to a pass from C.S. Sabeeth and found the target with a neat finish. But Lajong FC replied within a minute off Boithang Haokip whose swerving shot had the Bagan custodian Shilton Paul clueless.
Mohun Bagan restored the lead through substitute midfielder Manish Maithani but Lahimthara, who was introduced in the 74th minute, fetched the equaliser with fine header in the 77th minute.
The result: Mohun Bagan 2 (Tolgay Ozbey 52, Manish Maithani 60) drew with Shillong Lajong FC 2 (Boithang Haokip 53, P.C. Lalhimthara 77).
