SHILLONG, July 14: Mawlai SC demolished neighbours and their closest competitors Ryntih SC 5-0 in the 19th match of the Shillong Premier League at the MFA Turf, Polo Grounds, on Thursday.
The excitement of the game was disrupted for a while as a section of the makeshift spectators’ stand collapsed, resulting in pandemonium.
At the time of filing this report, however, no casualities were reported.
Pynbha Suting (45’), Donlad Diengdoh (48’), Manbha Iawphniaw (53’, 81’) and Samuel Lyngdoh Kynshi (86’) scored Mawlai’s five goals in a one-sided match that also produced the largest victory for any side this season.
Mawlai now have 15 points, a 6-point lead over rivals Ryntih. Incredibly, they were also able to maintain a fifth clean sheet – no team has scored against them in the league this year.
Thousands of fans packed the venue, occupying any vantage spot they could possibly find. Both sides were a little timid starting out, though Mawlai had more of the ball and got into more threatening positions.
Iawphniaw tested young Ryntih goalkeeper Luckystar Lawai in the 15th minute but the latter was able to time his leap well to tip a shot on target over the crossbar.
Other than this attempt, it looked like the two teams would head into the break goalless. That is, until Suting took an unlikely long-range strike that looked more of a toe-first futsal kick that went high but dipped before entering the net, sneaking between Lawai’s glove and the horizontal.
That marked the start of around 10 minutes of mayhem for Ryntih, as, soon after the break, Mawlai scored twice again.
Diengdoh first flicked in a header from Iawphniaw after beating his marker before the latter scored the first of his two goals on the day. A goal kick by Neithovilie Chalieu for Mawlai went long.
Wilbert Marbaniang tried it head to Lawai but his touch was a little soft and that allowed Iawphniaw to chip it over the onrushing keeper. Ryntih were stunned by this point.
However, Mawlai were not done yet. With less than 10 minutes still to play, Kynshi crossed into the box from the right flank looking for Diengdoh. Lawai, with a dive, punched the ball away but it was still in play and that allowed Iawphniaw to swing round and score, for a truly fantastic day against his former club.
In the 85th minute Lawai made a good save to deny Diengdoh but he soon conceded his fifth goal of the day when Kynshi rocketed in a direct free-kick from the right side of the Ryntih box.
Mawlai seemed almost unstoppable before this game but the way they dealt with the second-placed Ryntih today means that it is hard to see anyone beating them.
On Friday, fourth-placed Langsning FC (7 points) will meet seventh-placed Malki SC (4 points) at 4 pm.
