Bangalore: Unbeaten at home so far this season, debutant Bengaluru FC will be looking to consolidate their position on the leaderboard by picking up full points against mid-table team Shillong Lajong when they meet here Sunday in an I-League match.
BFC have 18 points from 10 outings against Lajong's 14 also from 10 matches but the hosts have shown a greater degree of consistency, notwithstanding two defeats during their recent away campaign.
The hard-fought 2-1 win against leaders Salgaocar in a tempestuous outing in Goa earlier this week has obviously put BFC on a high and they would be too keen to sustain the momentum on the morrow.
Lajong, largely dependent on their imports -- Brazilian Uilliams Silva, 2006 World Cupper Cornell Glen from Trinidad and Tobago and Cameroon's Charles Nga -- have had some good results this season but as a unit they have failed to be consistent and that has cost them crucial points.
In contrast, BFC have shown positive signs of a bunch of players coming together as an effective unit. They survived a big test against Salgaocar in a pressure game and kept their composure to survive an ill-tempered game.
If anything, the Ashley Westwood-trained BFC have improved with each outing with all their key players, like strikers Sunil Chhetri and Sean Rooney, and defender John Johnson excelling in their roles.
Thus, Lajong would be up against a high-flying outfit that will also be enjoying the benefits of playing at home and backed by partisan support from the stands. As such, it would surprise none if BFC come away with a win that will cement their position at the top of the I-league heap.
