Lajong and Air India play out 2-2 draw in Federation Cup

Guwahati: Shillong Lajong and Air India played out a 2-2 draw in an evenly contested thrilling Group D

match of the Federation Cup football tournament here today. Seikhohao Tuboi (5th) and Daniel Bedemi (47th) scored for Lajong while Khelemba Singh (41st) and Kailash Patil (53rd) found the target for Air India. Both sides played an open and attacking game and the sizeable crowd at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here were treated with some entertaining football with four goals. Just as many a spectators were beginning to take their seats, Tuboi gave Lajong the lead in the fifth minute capitalising on a mistake by Air India defender Sayed Farid. Tuboi chased a long aerial ball and Farid made a mess of a clearance and headed it straight into the path of the Lajong striker who chipped the ball over the onrushing keeper into the open goal. Five minutes later, Tuboi dodged past two Air India defenders but his shot from 20 yards missed target by inches. Air India picked up steam after the half hour mark and they started slowly building attacks led by N D Opara. But it was Khelemba who equalised four minutes from the breather and interestingly that goal came off a free-kick after Lajong goalkeeper was penalised for time wasting. Two minutes into the second half, Lajong again took the lead through a spot kick. Tuboi sent a low cross from the right to Lajong`s Nepalese recruit Anil Gurung who was brought down inside the Air India box. Bedemi did not make any mistake from the resultant spot kick. The lead survived barely six minutes with Kailash outjumping Lajong defenders to connect a Yusuf Ibrahim cross from the left to make it 2-2. Lajong play Dempo in their second group match on Thursday while Air India take on Pune FC on the same day. PTI