Shillong, Jan 18: Nongkseh booked their place in the final of the 11th All India Chief Minister’s Gold Cup International Football Tournament after beating local side Red Panda FC 1–0 at Jorethang in South Sikkim on Sunday.
The lone goal of the match was scored by Sheen Stevenson Sohktung, which proved enough to send Nongkseh into the tournament’s final.
Nongkseh took the field with their regular starting XI, with captain Hardy Cliff Nongbri returning from injury to lead the side.
The first half saw a balanced contest, with both teams creating chances but failing to convert. Red Panda came close from a free-kick, only for the ball to strike the woodwork, much to the relief of Nongkseh amid pressure from the home crowd.
The match took a decisive turn when Red Panda were reduced to 10 men less than 10 minutes later. Their left back was shown a red card after elbowing Khrawkupar Jana, an incident spotted by the assistant referee and brought to the main referee’s attention. Khraw suffered a bleeding lip but continued to play until the final whistle. He was also named Player of the Match (pictured).
After the break, Nongkseh pressed hard against their opponents. However, the hosts adopted a deep defensive approach in an attempt to take the match into a tiebreaker.
Nongkseh head coach Richardson Nongneng then made a key substitution, bringing on Chesterpaul Lyngdoh for Shano Tariang. The move paid immediate dividends as Chesterpaul delivered a precise cross into the box. Sheen controlled the ball calmly with his right boot before smashing it into the net with his left for the decisive goal.
Nongkseh will play the final on 22nd January against either Border Security Force (Jalandhar) or Sudeva FC, who are set to face each other in the second semifinal on Monday.
(Photo contributed)