Shillong, Dec 31: Shillong College Higher Secondary Section and H Elias Higher Secondary School had contrasting matches in the Senior Boys and Junior Boys categories of the Reliance Foundation Youth Sports 2019-20 National Football Finals in Navi Mumbai today.
H Elias trounced Government Oriental High School of Kerala 4-0, while Shillong College snatched a point with seconds to go before the final whistle in a 2-2 draw against ASC Boys Sports School of Bangalore.
Shillong College went behind in the 39th minute but in stoppage time they were awarded a penalty for what appeared to be a handball and this was converted by Remark Kharmalki with ease. Midway through the second half the Bangalore school had a player sent off, but they were still able to retake the lead in the 78th minute to really put the Shillong boys under a lot of pressure.
Six minutes of stoppage time were awarded and, in the very last of these, Baiaikara Swer turned in a good cross from the right, which Kitboklang Khyriem managed to tap in despite the high bounce to snatch a point for his side.
Earlier, H Elias took the lead in just the fourth minute through Abhay Chettri, who scored off a rebound close to goal. In the 29th minute a Henryford Nongneng header off a cross should have been collected by the opposition goalkeeper, but the ball burst through his hands and went into the back of the net.
In the second half Rafael Basaiawmoit made it 3-0 in the 56th minute with a well-positioned strike past the keeper and, during a counterattack, Gladdy Kharbuli squeezed the ball past the custodian in stoppage time of the 60-minute match for H Elias’ third win on the trot.
(TSR file photo of Kitboklang Khyriem)
