Alen Deory and Redeem Tlang were poor in front of goal in the first half with the former missing only with the keeper to beat. The Lajong fullbacks did no harm to their reputation but were failed by the wingers who appeared a tad lazy on the final third. Right after the break, Gokulam’s Lelo Mbele cut past his marker but took a touch too many as Phurba Lachenpa latched onto his shot from close range. Lachenpa showcased his skill yet again after the hour mark when he doused Kamo Bayi’s hopes of scoring the opener. In the other end, Hardy Cliff had a golden opportunity but his shot sailed over the bar, with nerves getting the better of the youngster.
However, the much-awaited deadlock-breaker arrived through Lalmuanpuia’s set-piece which rebounded off the post from Deory’s header. The former NorthEast United FC man was at the right place at the right time to head the ball in following a deflection off Lakra. Bino George’s side had no answer and their wasteful first outing yielded no returns. The Kerala side now face Chennai City FC up next while Lajong, who began their post-Thangboi Singto era with a bang will carry over the momentum when Churchill Brothers come visiting on Saturday.
