I-League 2 - Round 1: Lajong FC start on top

The first Round of matches of the 2nd Division I-League 2010/11 were played on April 25/26 in Shillong. And local side Shillong Lajong FC are on top after Round one following a 3-0 opening round win with Ar-Hima FC and Vasco SC the sides starting their campaign on three points.


Round 1 Match by Match Short Review
25-Apr-2011: Royal Wahingdoh FC 2-3 (0-2) Ar-Hima FC
The 2nd Division's opening match was a five goal thriller in which Ar-Hima FC scored a late injury time winner to beat local Shillong rivals Royal Wahingdoh FC 3-2. In an open game Ar-Hima look a 22nd minute lead through Zico Zoremsanga which was enhanced by Timmy Rynskhlem in the first half injury time. But the game was far from over as Royal Wahingdoh came back into the game in the second session with a double strike from Bijendra Rai in the 55th and 71st minute to draw level. Just when it looked like the match could end in a draw Ar-Hima would score the winner late into injury time through Thounaojam Sangkar Singh.

25-Apr-2011: Southern Samity 0-3 (0-2) Shillong Lajong FC
Shillong Lajong FC made a perfect start into their 2nd Division campaign by beating Kolkata side Southern Samity 3-0 at home. The local side delt the 2nd Division newcomers a double blow when Boithang Haokip and Mashangva Genius Zenith scored twice within 13 minutes and Lajong kept on creating changes, but they were way too wasteful with these and could only add a third in the 47th minute through striker Saikhohao Tuboi. Southern Samity did try thereafter to get onto the score-sheet but it wasn't to be on this day.

26-Apr-2011: Sporting Clube de Goa 1-1 (1-1) United Sikkim FC
In their first match Sporting Clube de Goa were held to a one-all draw by newcomers United Sikkim FC. The Flaming Orange went into the lead through a Ayeni Bidemi Daniel strike in the 27th minute which was equalised through Beingaichho Beokhokhai only seven minutes later. And though the end result could be seen as a surprise; the real story of the match was Baichung Bhutia making a starting comeback, not as a striker, but as a central defender for USFC.

26-Apr-2011: Vasco SC 2-1 (2-0) Mohammedan Sporting Club
In a match-up of former premier division clubs Vasco SC had the early initiative over Mohammedan Sporting Club and were up 2-0 quickly with goals scored through Prajot Naik in the 5th minute and then in the 11th minute through Sachin Gawas. But Mohammedan Sporting wasn't beaten just yet as Nigerian Christopher reduced the deficit for the Kolkata side on the hour mark, but it remained 2-1 for Vasco until the end.