By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The fourth Dr T Ao Memorial Football Tournament got off to a successful start at the JN Stadium, Polo, on Monday, with hosts Meghalaya beating Arunachal Pradesh 3-0, while Assam defeated Nagaland 2-0.
The tournament was formally kicked off before the start of the second match, featuring the home team, by Meghalaya Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma, who also inaugurated the newly-installed floodlights at the ground.
Meghalaya Football Association General Secretary Larsing Ming Sawyan and Organising Secretary B Diengdoh were also present at the occasion, besides other state politicians.
The tournament is named in honour of the late Dr Talimeran Ao, a footballer from Nagaland who played for Mohun Bagan and the Indian national team.
The state’s first football match under lights went the way the home fans would have desired and they now lead Assam on goal difference in Group A.
Meghalaya had the majority of the possession early on, but some desperate defending from Arunachal deflected any attempts by the home team to score.
Gatphoh was understandably the star of the home outfit, sprinting around the pitch and always in the thick of the action.
One of the best chances for the home team came early on when Bickyson Kharkongor took a long strike that caught the keeper off guard in the 21st minute.
His strike hit the crossbar and bounced just before the goal line. Gatphoh and the keeper ran for the rebound, but the custodian got to the ball first. Just a minute later Gatphoh took a shot that struck the corner of the goal post for another near scoring opportunity.
Donbok Khymdeit was also notable in Meghalaya’s forays forward and, despite the continued missed chances, it seemed inevitable that the hosts would score eventually.
What the home fans were waiting for came in the 28th minute with a goal from Teiborlang Siangshai.
In the box, Siangshai had the ball and without being properly guarded, he struck the ball over the head of the goalie and this time the ball stayed low enough to find the back of the net.
Even with the lead, Meghalaya did not relax and continued to push for another goal. Gatphoh took a strike just before 30 minutes and although the goalie fumbled, he collected the ball before either of two prowling Meghalaya players could reach the ball.
Arunachal were guilty of not executing well on a number of opportunities when they got themselves into good positions.
In one instance Mihin Pullo got past a number of Meghalaya defenders but couldn’t pull off his strike on goal, hitting it wide in the 35th minute.
The session ended 1-0 in the host team’s favour. Despite dominating the half, Arunachal would have taken some solace that they had only conceded one goal, while Meghalaya would have gone into the break brimming with confidence.
The visitors won a corner in the 47th minute, but local keeper Alwyn Paswet ran forward to pluck the ball out of the air.
It was a chilly evening but the hosts would have warmed the spectators by doubling the lead in the 53rd minute through Milancy Khongstia, who went up the left flank and fired in the ball.
The keeper only partly stopped the shot, parrying the ball forward and Khongstia was able to take the rebound and send the ball into the net.
Ronnie Nongbri then created another chance with a hard strike on goal on 59 minutes.
The keeper was guilty again of not collecting or properly pushing the ball away, but no striker was there to take advantage of the rebound.
Khongstia and Khymdeit were in action in the 65th minute, with the former taking the ball up the right flank, and then passing it neatly to Khymdeit, whose powerful shot was properly shunted away by the goalie.
The best opportunity for Arunachal came just a few minutes later when Pullo, on the left flank, shot the ball over the bar.
Meghalaya broke in the 82nd minute and Gatphoh ran up the left flank and passed to Khymdeit, who was open in front of the box but was pushed towards the left by a defender.
He struck a left-footer along the ground, beating the keeper, but it hit the left upright and stayed out.
Meghalaya put the game firmly out of reach of their opponents in the 87th minute via a free kick four yards from the box.
Gatphoh struck it cleanly, beating the diving keeper to his right to make it 3-0, giving the fans something extra to cheer about.
In the first match, the action was confined to the mid-field for the first half at least.
Nagaland were awarded a penalty in the 37th minute, but Lipok’s shot was brilliantly saved by Assam keeper Dulu Gogoi.
Assam scored their brace in the second half through Biswajit Swarkiyari in the 66th minute and Biswamitra Basumatary in the 84th.