By Our Reporter
Shillong, April 2: Langsning FC picked up a much-needed first win of the Shillong Premier League 2023 on Tuesday as they beat Nangkiew Irat SC 4-1 at the SSA Stadium at First Ground, Polo, here.
Maxderidoff Wahlang (7’), Kitboklang Pale (20’, 24’) and Ambilstar Sun (73’) scored for Langsning and Flavius Lalruatkima (63’) for Nangkiew Irat.
Before this match, Langsning had been defeated twice by Shillong Lajong FC and Mawlai SC but made up for that with this handsome win. For Nangkiew Irat, meanwhile, this was their second defeat in a row having lost to Nongthymmai SC in the previous round, though they did pick up 3 points in their season opener against Sawmer SC.
After one Langsning attempt was rebuffed, Maxderidoff fired in a beautiful shot low through a forest of players’ legs and past the diving Nangkiew Irat goalkeeper Vanlalhriata Chhangte in only the seventh minute to get his club up and running.
A couple more chances fell to Langsning soon after, the best of these through a lackadaisical free-kick by Vanlalhriata, which went straight to Langsning’s Nikelson Bina. However, Nikelson’s shot, taken with his first touch, went wide.
There was no mistake in the 20th minute when a Langsning free-kick was placed perfectly into the box and only required a simple touch from Kitboklang to put it into the net. Four minutes later, Banteilang Lyngdoh cruised into the Nangkiew Irat box, passed to Kitboklang and he struck the ball on the run with his favoured left foot for his second goal.
At the opposite end, Abhishek Verma looked the most likely for Nangkiew Irat to score and he had a strong shot on target in the first half but it went straight to Langsning goalie Surjay Kumar Pariyar.
Apart from Abhishek and a few others, Nangkiew Irat were a little underwhelming and did not make enough of an impact on the pitch. Against the run of play, Flavius was able to get the ball up and over Surjay following a free-kick and from then on there was a little more impetus in the team.
However, after a few minutes of that, Langsning were able to put the game to rest with their fourth when a Sheen free-kick was curled into the box and Ambilstar, who had come up for the set-piece, crept in front of his marker Wanpynshngain Nongsteng, got down low and headed the ball into the net. There are now three teams on 3 points each – Langsning, Nongthymmai and Nangkiew Irat. The latter have lost to the other two and thus have the worst head-to-head record but Langsning and Nongthymmai have yet to meet. Separating them on goal difference alone, Langsning would be in fifth place and Nongthymmai sixth.
The SPL 2023 will now be on a short break as the SSA Stadium is required to host two I-League 2023-24 matches in the coming days. When the league resumes on April 8, Ryntih SC will meet Rangdajied United FC at 3pm.
The Shillong Premier League (SPL) is a significant football league in the Indian state of Meghalaya, organized by the Shillong Sports Association (SSA). It is a state-level football league below the top-tier Meghalaya State League, featuring teams competing for the championship title and prize money. The league has a rich history, with Shillong Lajong FC being a prominent four-time champion. Matches are played at various stadiums in Shillong, with the league structure including promotion to the Meghalaya State League and potential relegation to lower divisions based on team performance.