On Sunday, nothing could have gone wrong for Shillong Lajong FC. Backed by a passionate home crowd exceeding 30,000, the hosts scripted an emphatic 3-0 victory over a sub-par Air India in their fourth round I-League match to claim full points.
That Lajong scored in the very first minute underlined the authority they displayed over Air India. Teamwork in patches, bursts of brilliance from Daniel Bidemi, Gumpe Rime and Seikhohau Tuboi and an overwhelming, and at times, intimidating home support saw the hosts sail through.
Air India allowed themselves to be influenced by a barren turf and adverse conditions and never really settled down. And once the sublime Daniel slotted past a hapless Arnab Das Sharma off a loose ball, the game was as good as over for the Mumbai side.
Lajong FC: 3 (Daniel 1, Tuboi 30, James 75), Air India: 0