Shillong, Nov 22: Nongkseh capped their Shillong Sports Association First Division 2025 with a ninth consecutive victory yesterday, giving them a 100% win record along with the champions’ trophy.
Nongkseh beat Meghalaya Police 1-0 in the season-ender at the SSA Stadium at First Ground, Polo, in probably the best-attended match we’ve seen this year – the galleries were absolutely packed.
Hardy Cliff Nongbri scored the only goal of the game in just the seventh minute of action. He intercepted a pass, which went to Shano Tariang, who back-heeled it back to Hardy. The captain had plenty of space and fired the ball on the run past MLP goalkeeper Nister Roy Suting.
With such a well-executed goal it was something of a surprise that Nongkseh couldn’t score any more but Chesterpaul Lyngdoh had a rare off-day and neither Shano nor Baiaikara Swer could convert other chances.
MLP were very attacking but though they were able to score 26 goals against the other eight teams in the league they couldn’t find a way past Nongkseh, not even with Pynshailang Lyngkhoi, the season’s top scorer, in their ranks.
The police were thus consigned to their first defeat all season. They needed to win yesterday to claim the title, while Nongkseh only needed a draw. In the end, Nongkseh won the match to lift the trophy.
At the prize distribution ceremony, Pynshailang was recognised as the tournament’s Top Scorer – he scored nine goals in all. MLP received a cheque of Rs 1 lakh as runners-up, while Nongskeh’s prize was double that at Rs 2 lakh.
Both teams will be promoted to next year’s Shillong Premier League – a return for the police since they were relegated in 2018 and the first time in the local top flight for Nongkseh.
Nongkseh and MLP will also be seen in the new SSA Champions Cup, which starts tomorrow. As winners, Nongkseh will be slotted in Group B and MLP in Group A.
(Shillong Sports Association photo)