By Our Reporter
Shillong, May 1: Shillong Lajong FC held off an attempt by Nangkiew Irat to stage a late comeback for a 2-1 victory in the Shillong Premier League 2023 at the SSA Stadium at First Ground, Polo, here on Wednesday.
Mebannangkiew Thabah (25’) and Samchaphrang Lato (69’) scored for Lajong before Prashant Chettri’s (84’) goal for Nangkiew Irat. These were the first goals all season for all three players.
A pass to Meban was almost out of his reach but he was able to keep control, enter the box and fire it low past Nangkiew Irat goalkeeper Vanlalhriata Chhangte.
After changing ends, the second goal saw Babysunday Marngar break up the left flank with Vanlalhriata coming out to cut off the angles.
Babysunday cut the ball to Samchaphrang who took a couple of steps before placing the ball into the back of the net past a couple of defenders who had tracked back in a hurry. Nangkiew Irat, who scored just five goals before today (the fewest of any of the eight SPL clubs), pulled one back when Lajong defender Abhay Chettri failed to deal with a cross. This allowed Nangkiew Irat to keep the pressure on and Prashant struck the ball over the line off the crossbar. Despite Nangkiew having hopes of at least a point, SLFC held on for the victory. Earlier, there was a big collision between Vanlalhriata and Deibormame Tongper in the fourth minute but the referee allowed play to go on while the keeper was on the floor. Deibor’s shot, however, was off target.
At the other end, Lajong keeper Wanteilang Malngiang was tested with a free-kick over the wall but he covered it well. And just before Prashant’s goal, a Babysunday free-kick clipped the crossbar to deny him a goal. Victory takes Lajong back to second in the standings with 15 points, 2 ahead of Mawlai SC, who have a game in hand to be played against Nangkiew Irat. The latter stay at the bottom of the table with 3 points, tied with Nongthymmai SC but behind based on head-to-head. Mebannangkiew Thabah and Samchaphrang Lato etched their names on the score sheet, securing their first goals of the season in a memorable fashion. Despite Nangkiew Irat’s late surge, exemplified by Prashant Chettri’s goal, SLFC’s resilience proved insurmountable, clinching them a crucial three points. With this win, Lajong ascends to second place in the standings with 15 points, setting the stage for an intense battle for league supremacy. As the league approaches its climax, anticipation mounts for the remaining fixtures, with Langsning FC locking horns with Ryntih SC on Friday, followed by Mawlai SC’s clash against Nangkiew Irat on Saturday.
Wednesday was the last of the scheduled 28 round robin matches. However, due to postponements, there are still two games to be played and these will take place on Friday and Saturday.
In the first, Langsning FC will face Ryntih SC on Friday, followed by Mawlai versus Nangkiew Irat on Saturday.