Shillong Lajong go top of the IFL table with a late win over Sreenidi Deccan

Shillong Lajong climbed to the top of the Indian Football League table with a dramatic 2-1 win over Sreenidi Deccan at the SSA Stadium on Friday. Joedson dos Santos gave the hosts the lead in the 51st minute from a set-piece, before Sreenidi's Nicolas Morinigo equalised in the 72nd minute. Substitute Tremiki Lamurong settled the match in the 84th minute, restoring Lajong's lead and handing Sreenidi their first defeat of the season.

The win took Lajong to seven points from three matches, while Sreenidi stayed on four points from the same number of games. Joedson was named player of the match after opening the scoring in a meeting of two sides who had both been unbeaten going into the game. Lamurong collected the ball on the right edge of the penalty area, beat Brandon Vanlalremdika with quick footwork and curled a left-footed strike beyond the diving Kamaljit Singh. Sreenidi had almost taken the lead shortly before that, when Adriano Castanheira blasted over the bar from the edge of the six-yard box after goalkeeper Siwel Rymbai failed to gather a low cross.

Joedson's opener had come from a delivery by Ephraim Lalremtluanga, which he met with his left foot to guide the ball past Kamaljit. Morinigo's equaliser was a header from Jagdeep Singh's looping cross, beating his marker Joedson and substitute goalkeeper Siwel Rymbai. In the closing minutes, Sreenidi captain David Castañeda thought he had equalised, only for his looping header to be cleared off the line by Lajong captain Kenstar Kharshong. Both sides had arrived unbeaten and level on four points, Lajong after a 1-0 win over Mohammedan SC and a 1-1 draw with Chanmari FC, and Sreenidi after a 1-0 win at Rajasthan United and a 1-1 draw at Real Kashmir.