Shillong, Sep 21: Meghalaya Police produced an uncharacteristically strong performance in the Shillong Premier League today by beating Nangkiew Irat 4-2 at the SSA Stadium here.
Having not scored more than two goals in any of their previous matches this season, the cops stunned everyone at the ground by scoring two in each half to take a 4-0 lead before Nangkiew bagged two late goals. The two teams, however, ended the game with 10 men each as two players were red-carded for an off the ball incident.
Nangkiew looked strangely off the mark today, with little penetration except for right at the end of the game. They would have looked on today’s fixture as one in which they could pick up a win, as MLP came into the context on the back of a disappointing 1-0 defeat at the hands of Sawmer on Monday. However, the police played more attacking football and that yielded rich dividends for them.
MLP claimed the lead in the 22nd minute when Teiborlang Siangshai took a good free-kick that Lalramtara Ngamlai volleyed into the net. Siangshai would be in action once again in the 41st minute when he took a long-range shot that was off target, but luckily for the cops it fell to Niwan-o Gatphoh, who was close to the goalmouth on the right and he eased it past goalkeeper Maitshaphrang Kharumnuid.
In the 60th minute Gatphoh would go deep into the Nangkiew box and took a shot, but this was going out. However, Tyngsainlang Rani slid forward in the nick of time and scored.
A foul in the 72nd minute by Roikhihbha Nongtdu on Siangshai in the Nangkiew box then gave the police a penalty. This was taken by Ngamlai, blocked by a terrific dive by Kharumnuid, who punched the ball away, but Khrawkupar Barim blasted the rebound into the net.
Credit should go to Nangkiew’s players for not giving up right then and there. They pulled a goal back in the 79th minute when Richanlang Sympli fed a nice through ball to Damehun Syih, who right-footed it into the net.
Then in the 86th minute a rather amusing own goal was conceded by MLP’s Salseng Sangma, who was put under pressure in the box by Nangkiew’s charging Lambor Nongsiej just when the policeman was attempting to clear the ball. His clearance must have come off the wrong side of his boot and he ended up sending the ball into his own net.
The match then concluded on a sour note when MLP’s Raja Shadap and Nangkiew’s Nongtdu were involved in some pushing and shoving off the ball and the referee sent them both off with red cards.
Tomorrow at 3:15PM Malki and Shillong Lajong will play their fixture that had to be postponed from 14th September.
(TSR photo. Meghalaya Police are in red, Nangkiew Irat in white)
