Shillong, Oct 14: Langsning closed out their Shillong Premier League 2025 campaign with an emphatic 5-0 victory against Malki at the SSA Stadium at First Ground, Polo, here this evening.
Samuel Phawa (35’, 40’), Donlad Diengdoh (74’) and Nelson Rymbai (84’) were the Langsning players who scored and there was also an own goal by Pynkhlainbok Wahlang (90’+4) right at the end.
Langsning are the first team to play out all their matches and they finish with 20 points with six wins, two draws and just one defeat. Although back on top of the points table, defending champions Shillong Lajong (18 points) still have a game to play, while Mawlai (15) have two to go. Malki, on the other hand, are in ninth place, still occupying one of the relegation spots, with 6 points and one match to play.
Even if the title does not go their way, Langsning will finish in the Top 3, a significant improvement on their sixth place in SPL 2024.
Today’s result was never really in any doubt, given how poorly Malki have performed against the top sides this season.
It took more than half an hour for the opening goal when Samuel tapped in a sharp cross delivered by Nelson from the left flank. He then doubled the lead five minutes later when a ball came in from the right into the box; Malki failed to deal with it and Samuel stuck out his boot to put the ball in.
Langsning took a 2-0 lead going into the break, thus also maintaining their perfect first half record – they have not conceded a single goal in the first 45 minutes of any SPL match this season.
It took some time before Langsning found their third goal, with Nelson denied by Malki goalkeeper Franklin Surong’s dive in the 63rd minute before Donlad was found to be offside and Nelson’s goal disallowed in the 70th.
Malki then had a couple of shots on target but Langsning goalie Rajat Paul Lyngdoh was behind them both. This would end up being his fourth clean sheet of the season.
Apborlang Kurbah assisted in both of the next two goals with excellent crosses from the right flank, with Donlad producing a flying header to make it 3-0 before Nelson finally got his name on the scoresheet in the 84th minute. That looked like being the last goal, that is until Pynkhlainbok put the ball into his own net while trying to clear the ball close to the goal line.
Tomorrow, eighth-placed Laitkor will take on sixth-place Sawmer at 4:30PM. Laitkor need a win in what will be their last match to guarantee that Malki cannot overtake them in the standings. Sawmer, meanwhile, would climb to fifth if they win and still have one match to go.
(Shillong Sports Association photo. Malki in blue, Langsning in red)
