Shillong, Oct 8: Sawmer came from a goal down to beat Mylliem 2-1 in what was the final match of the Shillong Premier League 2026 for both teams at the SSA Stadium here today.
Although Daohipaia Rymbai (45′) gave the lead to Mylliem, there was to be no joy for the team as Sawmer bounced back in the second half through Banteilang Lyngdoh (77’) and Bickyson Kharkongor (81’).
Sawmer (12 points) leapt from seventh to fifth with this win, which puts them in contention for the SSA Super Cup, which will follow the SPL; the Top 6 SPL teams are eligible for the Super Cup, though Sawmer will have to wait for the remaining matches to see if they qualify, as Meghalaya Police (11 points) and Rangdajied United (10 points) could still knock them out of the Top 6.
Mylliem ended their derisory season in last place, with a solitary point from one draw and eight defeats. This was the third time that they lost from a winning position and they will drop down back to the First Division next season.
There were a couple of long-range shots from Mylliem in the first half but it took until just before the break for them to break through, with Daohipaia scoring past Sawmer goalkeeper Urbanity Makhroh.
Diego Khyriem had a chance to level for Sawmer early in the second half but he skewed his shot wide. At the other end Remark Kharmalki struck the ball over the crossbar while on the run. In the 77th minute Banteiland curled his shot past Franklyn Surong in the Mylliem goal for the equaliser and there were several mistakes in defence after that that kept Sawmer interested. Eventually, Diego broke up the left from the halfway line and crossed for Bicky to score.
Tomorrow Meghalaya Police will face Laitkor at 3PM. Incidentally, today’s result also ensured that ninth-placed Laitkor will be relegated as well. Though they can tie eighth-placed Nangkiew Irat on 9 points if they beat MLP tomorrow, Nangkiew Irat have head-to-head advantage having defeated Laitkor on 25th August.
(Shillong Sports Association photo. Sawmer in red, Mylliem in black)