Shillong, March 14 Luka Majcen's double strike ensured Diamond Harbour FC defeated Shillong Lajong FC 2-1 in their Indian Football League match here on Saturday.
With this win, Diamond Harbour climbed to second in the table with six points, behind Sreenidi Deccan on goal difference, while Shillong Lajong dropped to fifth place with four points from three matches.
Diamond Harbour opened the scoring in the second minute, before Shillong Lajong had time to settle.
Majcen received the ball inside the box and passed it to Antonio Moyano, whose effort forced a save from goalkeeper Siwel Rymbai.
However, the rebound fell kindly for Majcen, and the Slovenian striker easily slotted it into the back of the net to give his side the lead.
The striker doubled the advantage with another clinical finish near the post.
Jobby Justin was released down the right wing by Hugo Díaz after Shillong Lajong lost possession on the edge of the box.
The captain delivered a low cross across the six-yard box, which Majcen finished neatly past the diving goalkeeper.
The Reds bravely stuck to their plan and played their high-intensity style of football.
The home side almost halved the deficit, but a combination of goalkeeper Dheeraj Singh's fingertips and the crossbar denied Everbrightson Sana's header.
The hosts finally halved the deficit nine minutes after the restart with a scintillating counter-attack that began deep in their own half.
A long throw from the opposition was cleared by the defence, with the ball falling to Everbrightson Sana.
The striker quickly released Gladdy Kharbuli, who had made an early run into space, and the midfielder shrugged off his marker before finishing expertly past Dheeraj Singh in goal.
Shillong Lajong controlled the match from that point on, with most of the play taking place in the opposition's half.