GOA: Coming back from a 2-2 draw against Mumbai FC, Salgaocar FC now ready for the Shillong Lajong FC challenge in the round 13 fixture of the Hero I-League.
The reverse fixture was a low scoring affair where Shillong Lajong’s Brazilian striker Fabio Pena scored the solitary goal to secure all the three points for the Reds.
Salgaocar FC lifted their performance since then and they have upset title contenders Kingfisher East Bengal recently. However, Santosh Kashyap and his boys will look to yield more points as they are still languishing at the eighth position on the table.
In the previous, the Greens led the game in both halves but Mumbai came back strongly to salvage a point finally. Santosh Kashyap alerted about his team’s injuries ahead of the game but maintained a positive stance despite the drawbacks, “The team is shaping up well but we have a lot of injuries. Darryl Duffy, Rocus Lamare, Saran Singh, Martin Scott, Reagan Singh are all out. We will try to do our best with what we have and see what happens,” Kashyap said.
In recent weeks, the Greens have shown enormous resilience in need and this fixture offers them a good opportunity to lift themselves from the eighth position. Salgaocar FC will be reliant on the combination of Calvin Mbarga’s power and the pace of Jackichand Singh to link up against a tough opposition.
Shillong Lajong heads into the tie on the back of a frustrating 0-2 loss at home to Bengaluru FC. Udanta Singh scored one and set one up as the Blues inflicted Lajong’s first defeat at their backyard in this Hero I-League season.
The Reds are robust in defense, but their poor form in the attacking third is a concern for coach Thangboi Singto, "Goals help the team to win matches. If you don’t score then you cannot win.” He further added, “We need to play better than the last match at home as Salgoacar has strengthened themselves with experienced players. We go to the game with a positive belief that we can win the match.”
The influential duo of Uilliams and Yusuke Yamagata has not travelled owing to their injuries. However, Fabio is expected to make a start for the Reds tomorrow.
It will be a confrontation of a maverick attacking force and a sturdy defense on Saturday afternoon before the Hero I-league goes for an international break. The match will be telecast live on Ten Action at 4:30 pm.
