Shillong Lajong got their first points and win in I-League 2017 at the JN Stadium on Saturday, beating newcomers Minerva Punjab 2-1 through goals from Rupert Nongrum and Cameroonian striker Aser Dipanda Dicka.

Punjab pulled one back in stoppage time with a blistering shot from defender Loveday Okechukwu in stoppage time. Lajong held on to jump to the seventh place in the table after losing their first three games of the season. Punjab lie second from the bottom with one point from four games.

Lajong’s young, pacy outfit were lively in the first half and took the lead via a neatly taken strike by Nongrum. Slack defending allowed Dicka to double the lead with Okechukwu making a meal out clearing a loose ball.

Punjab put up a much improved display in the second half and did manage to test the home side on a couple of occasions. The away side deserved got a goal for inflicting plenty of pressure on Lajong in the final half-hour of the game.

Brief score

Shillong Lajong 2 (Rupert Nongrum, Aser Dipanda Dicka) beat Minerva Punjab 1 (Loveday Okechukwu)