Shillong, Sep 30: Bottom side Nongrim Hills gave Langsning a real scare but the latter ultimately prevailed in a 3-2 victory in a classic Shillong Premier League 2025 match at the SSA Stadium at First Ground, Polo, here on Tuesday.
Langsning scored via Richie Kharbani (32’), Apborlang Kurbah (34’) and Istarbor Marngar (90’+6), while Nongrim Hills’ found the back of the net through Sanborlang Sohtun (79’) and an own goal (81’).
Victory pushed Langsning up to third place with 11 points, while Nongrim Hills’ tough season continued – they have just 1 point from six matches.
Both sides had several set-pieces in the first half an hour of the game, with Nongrim Hills coming closest, though Langsning goalkeeper Rajat Paul Lyngdoh managed to gather up the ball in the nick of time.
Langsning then scored twice in the space of two minutes, first with Richie heading in a free-kick before Apborlang converted a chance that arose from a corner. Nongrim Hills were a feistier team at the start of the second half and Langsning were perhaps guilty of taking their opponents lightly.
A left-footer from Bankitboklang Nongrum cannoned into the crossbar in the 47th minute to make Nongrim Hills’ intentions known but it still took another half an hour before Sanborlang pulled a goal back by heading in a free-kick. Two minutes later, Langsning’s Damonlang Pathaw put the ball into his own net while trying to head away another free-kick and momentum now swung Nongrim Hills’ way.
Glennys Lynrah grazed the crossbar in the 87th minute and Nongrim Hills were even unluckier as Bankitboklang got injured and needed to be stretchered off the pitch soon after. His team had already used up all of their five substitutes and thus had to play the last few minutes with 10 men.
That is when Langsning capitalised. They had already thrown away a two-goal lead against Shillong Lajong in their last match, which ended 2-2, but this time they found the winner, with Istarbor bundling the ball over the line from a corner kick deep in stoppage time.
Nongrim Hills were impressive in the second half but will count themselves a little unlucky with the two hits to the crossbar and Bankit’s untimely injury. Relegation is a very real danger now for them as they only have three games to play, two of which are against top sides Mawlai and Lajong.
It is these two clubs that will be in action on Wednesday with defending champions Lajong and Mawlai set to entertain in what should be a mouthwatering match at 4:30pm.
