NAIHATI: Mohammedan Sporting were held to a 1-1 draw by Shillong Lajong in the latter’s opening fixture of I-League 2023-24 at the Naihati stadium on Friday.
Unfazed about playing in front of a partisan crowd, it was Shillong Lajong who created the bulk of the better chances in the first half. The first of those came as early as the third minute, as Brazilian midfielder Renan Paulino lined up a freekick right at the edge of the Mohammedan box. The free kick hit the wall, but off the ricochet, Paulino let loose a volley that drifted just wide.
The tone was somewhat set for the game, Lajong the team who played the ball neatly in the channels, interchanging passes at pace and never allowing Mohammedan to settle. The home side largely played on the counter and were overly reliant on their Argentine playmaker Alexis Gomez to create anything of note. (AIFF)
