Shillong, Sep 24: Langsning continued their untroubled run in the Shillong Premier League with a 3-1 victory over bottom club Sawmer at the SSA Stadium here today.
Milancy Khongstia, Ebormi Buam and Kynsaibor Lhuid were the defending champions’ scorers, while Gamelial Kharlyngdoh put one into the net for Sawmer.
The two teams had played out a goalless draw in the first leg after Langsning chose to field several second string players in the first eleven, but they didn’t risk that again today.
Sawmer, however, gave Langsning a bit of a shock in the opening minutes when Rheadolf Nongneng Daloi struck the bar in the third minute.
Things settled down later and Khongstia netted the opener by stealing the ball away from Daloi and striking a crisp shot from the edge of the box past the diving Sawmer goalkeeper Sunshine Kharmuti.
That lead lasted barely a few minutes when a handball on the edge of the box gave Sawmer an opportunity. Kharlyngdoh took the kick and curled the ball over the wall and into the net, with Langsning custodian Frolicson Dkhar only able to get a few fingertips to the ball.
A corner in the 38th minute for Langsning was taken by Lhuid. The ball was headed onto the crossbar and bounced down, allowing Buam to head in the ball.
The first half was quite even in terms of possession, but that was far from the case in the second, which was almost completely played in Sawmer’s half of the pitch. Justerwell Tham had an early opening in the 48th minute, but his shot was gathered by Dkhar.
After that it was all Langsning.
A foul on Donlad Diengdoh in the box gave the champions a penalty in the 53rd minute. Captain Brolington Warlarpih had to take it twice – his first attempt went in, but the referee spotted another player moving too soon, so it had to be retaken and this time Warlarpih blazed it over the bar.
A feature of Langsning’s season has been their level of teamwork and the way they respond to each other’s calls. This was evident in their third goal when after Khongstia won the ball from a Sawmer player, he passed to Kitboklang Pale who in turn fed the ball to Lhuid. The No. 20 is adept at taking long-range shots and he proved that again today when he fired the ball from outside the box between two defenders and past Kharmuti. Lhuid is now Langsning’s top scorer with four goals this season.
Langsning are now on 21 points from nine games with six wins and three draws. Sawmer remain in seventh on six points.
Tomorrow Rangdajied United will face Meghalaya Police at 3:15PM.
(TSR photo. Sawmer are in red, Langsning in white)
