SPL 2025
Shillong, Aug 12: Langsning and Mylliem worked hard but ultimately had to settle for a point each in a 1-1 draw in the Shillong Premier League 2025 at the SSA Stadium at First Ground, Polo, here on Tuesday evening.
Langsning scored first in the 48th minute with what looked like an own goal before Milancy Khongstia equalised for Mylliem in the 75th minute.
Rain fell on the ground throughout the match, which may have made conditions a little tricky.
While it was Mylliem’s first appearance in the SPL after securing promotion from the First Division 2024, Langsning are two-time SPL champions.
Nevertheless, even they were an unknown quantity going into the game as they have made numerous changes in personnel in the pre-season.
Mylliem have bulked up their squad with several experienced players, such as veterans Milancy and Alem Khongwir, Freestar Kharbangar, Shaibor Nongrum and Remark Kharmalki.
Alem was as quick as ever, at least in the first half, but did not see as much of the ball in the second 45 minutes.
Instead it was a Milancy shot that took two minor deflections off Langsning players before the ball buried itself into the back of the net.
Earlier, Dajiedlang Wanshnong, who Langsning retained from SPL 2024, put in a good cross from the right flank that was unintentionally headed into the net by a Mylliem defender.
Arguably Langsning’s biggest signing is Donlad Diengdoh but putting a prodigious scorer up front is not a guarantee of getting goals and he could not make a decisive impact in today’s game.
Instead, it was Mylliem who dominated the second half, with more than 10 chances going their way in the last half an hour; the only negative for them is that they only managed to convert one of these. On Wednesday, Laitkor will face Malki, also promoted from the First Division, at 5:30pm.
In the end, the match will be remembered as a battle of grit rather than flair, with both Langsning and Mylliem showing flashes of promise but ultimately lacking the cutting edge to claim all three points.
The persistent rain may have slowed the game’s tempo, yet it also added an unpredictable layer that tested the players’ control and decision-making.
For Mylliem, the draw will feel like a missed opportunity given their late dominance and the flurry of chances that went begging, though their experienced core will take heart from a solid debut in the top flight.
Langsning, meanwhile, will be quietly relieved to have avoided defeat against a newly promoted but spirited opponent, even if their revamped side still looked like a work in progress.
With the season just underway, both teams have ample room to sharpen their attacks and fine-tune their strategies, but on this rain-soaked evening at Polo, they had to be content with sharing the spoils. Both sides will walk away from the contest with mixed emotions — Langsning with the feeling that an early advantage had slipped from their grasp, and Mylliem wondering how they did not turn their second-half surge into a memorable victory.
The energy and commitment on display were unquestionable, but the lack of precision in the final third proved costly for both camps. For Mylliem, the draw still marks a respectable return to the Shillong Premier League.
