Minerva keen to make amends

Tribune News Service 

Panchkula, January 24

Their hopes of defending the I-League title quashed, Minerva Punjab FC resume their I-League campaign with a 14th-round clash against bottom-placed Shillong Lajong at Tau Devi Lal Stadium here on Friday.

The first-leg game between the two sides at the JLN Stadium in Shillong had ended in a 2-2 stalemate.

Minerva have not won in over a month and a half and the last points Shillong picked up was against their Friday hosts in the first leg over two months ago.

Minerva managed a last-gasp equaliser in their previous game at home against Gokulam Kerala and their search for goals and goal-scorers continues this season.

Three of the seven goals that Minerva FC have scored in the 13 games played so far, have come from defenders, including last week’s lone goal against Gokulam. Irish coach Paul Munster will be a worried man with AFC Champions League games getting closer by the day.

He seemed to be acknowledging the problem in the pre-game presser, when he said: “We have used seven strikers and it wasn’t good enough. We lacked in concentration and also made a few mistakes which the boys are working on. We have a new dimension on the attacking line now. We just want to keep up the hard work.”

Shillong, despite having lost 11 of their 13 games, have scored seven more goals than Minerva and with nothing to lose, the visitors will fight for pride and their free-flowing relentless attacking game might just be a threat for the hosts.

It remains to be seen how Shillong coach Alison Kharsyntiew encourages his young boys to fight, with relegation staring them in the face.

The coach, though, seemed to be in no mood for a let-up in the attacking play. “We have scored and conceded goals. Our last match against (Real) Kashmir was good. We are looking at scoring more goals. We have played good matches with enriching experiences. They will help us in playing this season and for the next season,” said Alison.

Phrangki Buam is one Shillong player who has had a good campaign, scoring four times to be the second-best Indian scorer of the league after Jobby Justin of Quess East Bengal and he will look forward to the game having scored one of his team’s two goals in the first leg at home.

So did Philip Njoku and William Opoku Asiedu for Minerva, two players who have scored more than once this season for the defending champions and will look forward to add to their tally against Lajong.