Bengaluru FC beat Lajong 3-2 in Fed Cup

Bengaluru FC edged past Shillong Lajong with a 3-2 win in the 38th edition of the Federation Cup at the Barabati Stadium here on Monday.

Strikes by Udanta Singh (35th minute), Eugeneson Lyngdoh (46) and an own goal by skipper Aibrolang Khongjee proved enough for the Blues to register their first win of the Federation Cup. Yuta Kinowaki and Samuel Lalmuanpuia found the net in the 72nd minute and 84th minute, respectively, for Lajong.

Dipanda Dicka had missed a penalty for Lajong in the 71st minute.

Bengaluru, however, suffered a nervy start as opponents Shillong Lajong attacked from the whistle and Dipanda Dicka's shot in the first minute itself came close to stealing the lead.

The Albert Roca-coached side, however, recouped from the nervous opening and Sandesh Jhingan's second minute header which rattled the bar gave a testament of Bengaluru FC's attacking intent.

Roca's men dominated possession and Harmanjot Khabra and Udanta Singh proved to be a handful for Lajong's defence, running circles around them every now and then.

In the 33rd minute, BFC fostered perhaps the best scoring chance of the match as Udanta was released onto goal by skipper Sunil Chhetri. Udanta's shot, however, went wide of the goal after Kaith had come out of his lines.

Two minutes later, Udanta exorcised his demons as his shot from distance took a wicked deflection and looped in the Lajong net to hand BFC the lead as the half-time scoreline read 1-0.

Eugeneson Lyngdoh doubled Bengaluru FC's lead in the 46th minute when he timed his run to perfection to head home a Harmanjot Khabra cross from the right flank.

The Blues piled pressure on Thangboi Singto's men and in the 60th minute, Sandesh Jhingan's header from a corner kick was kept out of the goal by the Lajong defence line after Vishal Kaith had come out off his lines.

Lajong were given a penalty in the 71st minute which Dipanda Dicka shot way over the goal but Yuta Kinowaki slotted the ball home from a tight corner to reduce their deficit and to make the scoreline read 2-1 in the 72nd minute.

However, disaster struck for the Lajong defence two minutes later when Aiborlang Khongjee bundled the ball into his own net, doubling Bengaluru FC's lead yet again. Thangboi Singto's men were awarded a penalty again in the 84th minute and this time Samuel Lalmuanpuia scored to make the scoreline read 3-2.

--IANS

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