I-League: Churchill look to regain lead

Panaji: Churchill Brothers FC have Inter Kashi breathing down their neck in the race for the I-League title and will need to take their performance a few notches to leave their challengers behind.
Churchill dropped to second position after Inter Kashi edged past Namdhari FC 3-2 on Thursday and moved on top of the table. The Goan side now have an opportunity to regain the lead when they host Shillong Lajong FC at the Panchayat ground, Raia, on Friday.
Kashi moved to 34 points from 18 games while Churchill are three points behind with a match in hand and a better head-to-head record.
Churchill head coach Dimitrios Dimitriou knows how dangerous fourth-placed Lajong (26 pts) can be as opponents.
“There is no easy game for anybody,” Dimitrious told TOI during the media interaction on Thursday. “It’s going to be a different game from the first leg. Now we are facing a very good team. We saw them in the last game against Dempo. They are fighting till the end. This team is one of the very best.”
Churchill have been boosted with a 3-1 win against Rajasthan United FC where there were a lot of positives.
“I’m very happy with the boys. At this part of the league, they can’t improve anymore. Players know what the coach wants, we advise them and help them,” said Dimitrious.
On the other hand, Shillong Lajong have taken the fight to the opposition. In the last match at home, Lajong edged past Gokulam Kerala FC 4-3 with a late winner from Renan Paulino.
During their previous visit to Goa, Lajong clawed their way back for a 2-2 draw against Dempo SC. But coach Jose Carlos Hevia knows they must show with more intensity against Churchill.
“Everything will be completely different. We play the first-placed team of the league. They are in a good moment and we face this match as a final. A win can carry on our fight to the top four,” said Hevia.
Lajong will miss one of the league’s top strikers, Douglas Tardin, who has 11 goals, for the fifth straight game as he has not recovered from an ankle injury he picked up against Namdhari.
“It is sad to see the tackle on Douglas by Namdhari’s Moro Lamine didn’t even receive a card or foul. The referee let the action carry on and Douglas could have even broken his ankle. It is really frustrating for me and the club,” said Hevia.
When the teams met in their first match of the season, Churchill returned home with a hard-earned point after a 2-2 draw. That day too Lajong fought from two goals down at home.
“This game is completely different from the first match four months ago. I think our level got better and so did Churchill's. We are making small mistakes that can cost us the game and need to avoid it,” said Hevia.

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