Fabian reid

Shillong Lajong FC: Shillong Lajong FC earned a point on I-League’s return to the Meghalaya capital after a gap of four seasons, holding fellow North-Eastern side NEROCA FC to a 1-1 draw at the SSA Stadium on Thursday.

Lajong, who had also drawn 1-1 with Mohammedan Sporting in Naihati last week, took the lead through their Brazilian midfielder Renan Paulino in the 34th minute. A capacity crowd showed up for the weekday afternoon kick-off in the heart of Shillong, and they were treated to a solid first half from the home side.

However, NEROCA bounced back in the second half, equalising through Jamaican striker Fabian Reid in the 79th minute. The Orange Brigade, who had leaked as many as eight goals in their first two trips to Sreenidi Deccan and Gokulam Kerala, finally got off the mark this season with a valuable point.