Shillong, January 13 : Shillong Lajong FC delivered a commanding performance at the SSA Stadium, defeating Sporting Club Bengaluru 5-0 in an I-League match.
Lajong took a 2-0 lead into halftime with goals from Daniel Gonçalves and Figo Syndai. However, the second half belonged to Douglas Tardin, who scored a blistering hat-trick within 15 minutes, sealing a resounding victory for José Hevia’s side.
While not as high-scoring as their previous demolition of Rajasthan United, this win was a significant setback for newly-promoted SC Bengaluru, who remain at the bottom of the table with only five points from eight games. For Shillong Lajong, this third win of the campaign, coupled with their fourth consecutive clean sheet at home, propelled them to fourth place in the standings with 12 points.
The first half was a physical affair with numerous tackles resulting in early yellow cards for Lajong’s Kynsailang Khongsit and Aman Ahlawat, and SC Bengaluru’s Manoj Kannan. Despite end-to-end action, clear chances were limited due to wasteful finishing.
The deadlock was broken in the 40th minute when Gonçalves volleyed home a corner from Hardy Cliff Nongbri. Just before halftime, Syndai doubled Lajong’s lead with a well-placed finish following a cutback from Phrangki Buam.
Tardin’s second-half hat-trick began in the 60th minute after a goalkeeping error by Bengaluru’s Yuya Kuriyama. Seven minutes later, Tardin headed in a cross from Khongsit. He completed his hat-trick in the 75th minute, capitalizing on a defensive mistake.
Lajong now sits fourth in the table with 12 points from 8 matches. Their next match is against Sreenidi Deccan FC on January 18th in Hyderabad.
