Talking Points: Can Alison Kharsyntiew address Shillong Lajong's defensive frailties?

The Reds conceded four goals against the Red Machines on Thursday evening.

In a thrilling encounter which saw a total of 34 shots at the goal, Churchill Brothers emerged victorious over Shillong Lajong FC in the Tilak Maidan Stadium in Goa on Thursday. The home side were dominant and managed to get all three points, due to the brilliant performance by Willis Plaza. The former East Bengal man bagged a hat-trick and also provided an assist to push the Red Machines to their first win of the season.

Alison Kharsyntiew’s side meanwhile slumped to their fourth consecutive loss and remain tenth in the table, one point above Aizawl FC. Here are our takeaways from the game.

5. Revamped Churchill look set for a rousing comeback

This time last season, Churchill Brothers were in the bottom of the I-League table, losing their first six games. The Goan team finished ninth after a late revival but that was not enough for them to clear the drop. However, after their reinstatement, Churchill Brothers underwent a complete reshuffle, with current coach Petre Gigiu coming in.

Under Gigiu, the Red Machines have been physically dominant and has managed to start the season respectably. The team has been performing well together and has managed to get their first victory of the campaign in their first home match. The club sits third on the table and if their form continues, the Goans could end up pushing for the title.

4. Lajong outplayed by a physically dominant Churchill side

If there was one thing that set the young Indian side of Shillong Lajong apart from Churchill Brothers, it was the intensity displayed by the home side, especially the foreigners. Willis Plaza, Dawda Ceesay, Hussein Eldor and Nenad Novakovic managed to exert their presence physically on numerous occasions.

The physical presence of the Churchill squad managed to throw Shillong off their natural game with the away team looking completely out of the rhythm exhibited by them in the beginning stages of the competition. Lajong failed to match the intensity exhibited by the Goans and despite equalizing twice, their influence waned away as the match progressed.

3. Israil Gurung – a pivotal figure for Churchill

Despite Shillong having a completely Indian side, if there was one Indian who stood out on the pitch, it was the experienced Israil Gurung. The Churchill winger put in a solid shift for his club and kept attacking the Lajong full-backs with his pace and skill.

His set-piece delivery was also magnificent, as his free-kick resulted in Churchill’s third and Willis Plaza’s second goal. He would have also had a second assist after his pass found Willis Plaza free in front of goal. The striker, however, failed to find the net for the fourth time during the match as he shot wide. Gurung, who is currently enjoying his third stint at Churchill, was a force to be reckoned during the time he was on the field.

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2. Kharsyntiew needs to address the shortcomings in defence

Shillong has conceded a league-high 12 goals already this season. The Reds’ back line lacked communication as well as chemistry and the Churchills’ attack capitalized on that. They were outplayed constantly with Willis Plaza, Israil Gurung and Dawda Ceesay who found the space easily.

Both the center-backs, Aiban and Mebhankhraw looked very shaky and failed to deal with aerial balls properly. Kharsynthiew’s side allowed the Red Machines to register 24 shots during the course of the match. The gaffer needs to address this problem if his side has to overcome the current slump.

1. Willis Plaza’s form will determine Churchill’s push for the title

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The Trinidadian was in red-hot form against Shillong Lajong. He was involved in all four goals that Churchill scored, grabbing a hat-trick and setting up one for Dawda Ceesay. He was a constant threat to the Lajong defense with his pace and energy and this performance was an indication of his importance to Churchill.

During the first three matches, Plaza was wasteful and looked very different from Thursday. However, if he is able to replicate his performance against Lajong on a regular basis, Churchill could emerge as a potential title contender. Petre Gigiu’s side will be relying on Plaza to continue his fine form in the forthcoming matches.