Joel Sunday Ayeni and Daniel Bidemi Ayeni fired braces as Langsning FC stormed back from two goals down to inflict a 4-2 defeat on Rangdajied United.
The two Shillong sides served up an entertaining game at the football stadium in Bangalore on Friday as the second division I-League reached its halfway point.
Rangdajied played the last 20 minutes with 10 men following Loveday Okechokwu’s red card, a stage at which the scores were level 2-2. Langsning, however, had steadily gained the upper hand and will like to believe the win would have come regardless. The outcome lifted the victor to fourth in the table at the end of the first leg of the league; the second leg, where each side simply plays the other five again, will begin on Monday.
On four minutes, the Korean Ho Jun Shin scored from 30 yards out before Nagen Tamang capitalized on defensive and goalkeeping ineptitude to double the lead.
Langsning pulled one back five minutes from the interval, Joel scoring from the spot after being brought down by Okechukwu in the box.
This appeared to have a reinvigorating effect for Langsning who played with greater discipline and commitment in the second half. The skipper Daniel and Nabachandra Singh- a first half substitute in midfield- applied pressure from the top. Rangdajied looked somewhat tired as Daniel struck the equalizer in the 62nd minute, heading in Ashok Singh’s cross from the right.
When Okechokwu was sent off, for bringing down a driving Nabachandra on the edge of the area, it was clear the contest was only going to go one way. Daniel and Joel scored again, simple goals against a crushed, stretched defence.
The result: Rangdajied United 2 (Ho Jun Shin 4, Nagen Tamang 25) lost to Langsning FC 4 (Joel Sunday Ayeni 40, 86, Daniel Bidemi Ayeni 62, 79).
Positions after five matches (top two will be promoted) : 1. Emta Mohammedan Sporting 10 points; 2. Bhawanipore FC 9; 3. Mumbai Tigers 9 (behind on goal difference); 4. Langsning FC 7; 5. Rangdajied United 4; 6. Southern Samity 2.
